Envy
by Espionage Commitment
Summary: After the deaths of her grandparents, Hidari Mayu moves to the rural town of Enobizaka to live with her sister Luka and continue her occupation as a seamstress. However, the peaceful country village becomes filled with paranoia and deception as the family members of her new friend begin to be murdered one after the other.
1. Sisters

**Hey, you don't have to pay attention to this, but this is part 4 of a vocaloid fanfiction series. There is not much that connects the stories at this point, but if you want to check out the other parts on my page, go ahead. The order of parts is as follows: Pride, Lust, Gluttony, Envy. Alright, see you around maybe.**

The sakura trees were in full bloom in April. Light pink petals floated down from the sky like raindrops onto the dirt around me. My mother was on my left. My father, on my right. The only difference between me and them were that they were in the ground, and I was knelt at their graves.

The sun dipped slowly behind the tree line, and I wondered how long I had been there. Long enough. She obviously decided not to see me, so what was the point?

My stiff hand-woven kimono gave me difficulties standing up. Loose strands of blonde, red, purple, blue, and green broke free of my bun and waded in the wind. I took one last look at their posthumous names and began walking back through the cemetery.

Barely ten feet from where I knelt, a boy's voice interrupted my numbness.

"Who are you?"

I inspected the blonde boy who spoke with scrutiny. He wore a black men's kimono and an aura of innocent curiosity. His gold eyes and hair shimmered in the dying light. My glowering equally gold eyes automatically made him regret his question.

Sorry It's just that this is a small town, and I haven't seen you before…"

My eyes continued to cut into his soul until I eventually sighed and gave him my name.

"Hidari Mayu. Dare I ask who you are?"

"K-Kagamine Len. I am the priest's son. Are you visiting anyone?"

"Yes," I replied shortly.

"I am sorry to hear that. Close relations?"

"Very. You ask many questions."

"Yes, I do…How long are you staying in the village?"

"Questions, questions…" I sighed again and attempted to hide the fact that I was slightly amused by this Len's antics. However, this was not the time to be making friends. "I am leaving right now actually."

"Really? When are you coming back?"

"Never."

"What? W-wait!"

Without another word, I left the cemetery. I was on the road as soon as I could reach it. It was a brief visit, and I never met her after all of those years. If I regretted anything, it was leaving that priest's son so curtly. But, what did it matter? I wouldn't see him again anyways.

During a week-long trip on a hay cart, the sky did nothing but rain. The ox-driver repeatedly apologized for the inconvenience. I thought of how fitting it was that my new life should start out like this.

It had been thirteen months since I had been in the town we approached at midday, though the sunlight was hindered by thick clouds. Over a year ago, I visited my parents' graves there. Who knew I would be coming back so soon?

The cart entered the town's empty dirt roads. The villagers locked themselves in their house from the horrible storm that took place before me. I tightened my shawl as the oxen clomped to a stop in front of a modest wooden house in the center of the village.

Silently paying the driver, I dismounted the hay, gathered my little belongings, and knocked on the post next to the screen door of the house.

A woman with long pink hair that reached her knees opened a slit. Round blue eyes widened, and the door's gap widened as I was pulled in by two long arms.

"Mayu! It's been so long!" she screamed and hugged me tightly.

"Luka!" I replied less enthusiastically since all the air in my lungs was being slowly depleted, "It certainly has been."

"You weren't at Mother and Father's funeral," she said and finally released me.

My aura darkened and I turned away, "Well, you scheduled it only a day after it happened. You knew I wouldn't be able to make a week's travel by then."

"Of course, I forgot. I'm sorry. I was really out of it since it was so sudden, but I'm really happy that you're here now, Ne-san!"

My face softened. "Me too, I guess. You know I was never angry with you, only at Mother and Father. We should leave that behind us now."

"Yes, yes. Oh, I forgot! I was going to pick up cloth today from Yuzuki's place! I think I will have to go now before the storm worsens. Before free to set up your things in the second bedroom upstairs. There's a cot waiting for you."

"O-okay, if you have to…"

She was gone within five minutes, and I was left in my new home and workplace. My whole family had been tailors since the craft was created. Luka was trained by our parents, but my teachers were my grandparents. Even though my sister is eleven years older than me, I could still bet that I was more skilled. Not that I would rub it in or anything…

As I gingerly started putting away expensive cloth I brought with me, a knock resounded from the front door. I slid it open expecting to see my housemate, but jumped back when coming face-to-face with gleaming blue eyes that shined even in the rain.

"Ah, sorry, sorry!" the man apologized. Another shorter person was standing behind him, though I could barely tell by the blurring storm. "May we come in?"

"Y-yes! Please," I stuttered.

The two wasted no time in getting out of that weather, removing their shoes, and placing them on the genkan.

"I don't believe I have met you before. This is the Megurine residence, correct?" continued the blue-eyed man who I could now see had royal blue hair as well, darkened by the rain.

"Yes, I've just moved here today actually. I am Hida…" then I saw the boy next to him and gasped. "YOU'RE THAT BOY WHO ASKS TOO MANY QUESTIONS!"

He yelped too. "YOU'RE THAT PRETT-I MEAN-YOU'RE THAT GIRL FROM THE CEMETARY!"

"Oh, I see, you know my son?" the man asked.

"Your son…?" He looks so young. "Wait, that means you are the shrine's priest?"

He nodded. I immediately bowed. "I apologize for yelling and greeting you this way. I am Hidari Mayu."

"Oh no, it's fine. My name is Kagamine Kaito, by the way. So, Len, this is that random girl you talked about all those months ago, huh? Very interesting."

"W-w-well, I mean, I didn't talk about her that much. We only talked for about three minutes." His face was the color of Luka's hair.

"Anyway!" I was quick to change the subject, "Are you here for my sister? Or if you need anything to be tailored, I would be happy to make it."

"I didn't know Megurine had a sister! I haven't really met her myself, actually. I'm getting off topic. I would like to pay for a kimono for my wife. If I can get you her measurements, will you be able to make one for her? Her favorite color is red by the way."

"I could definitely do that! Just drop the measurements off whenever, and I can get her one in a week."

"Yes, yes, great! Before I leave, I have one more thing to ask. Just out of curiosity, why is it that your name is Hidari while your sister's is Megurine?" Kaito inquired.

"That is a long story, but the short version is I was raised more by my grandparents whose name was Hidari while my sister was raised by my parents."

"Ah, yes, I remember presiding at their funeral. My sympathies. Now, we must go back. I'll let you say your goodbyes."

The priest ran off with his shoes in the blink of an eye.

"Wait! Oto-sama!" Len yelled with rage.

He laughed nervously when it was just me and him. "Well, I have to run too. I'd like to hear the rest of that story someday. Maybe I could show you around the village sometime?"

"Sure! Why not?" I smiled.

And as he disappeared through the storm, he shouted back one more thing. "You know, you should smile more often! Suits you better!"


	2. Enobizaka

It was a month after I turned nineteen that I received a letter from my sister. We had corresponded regularly since we were separated.

Luka wrote of how lonely it was in the small town of Enobizaka. She begged for me to come live with her since our grandparents had died several months previous and there was no one left for me in the village I spent most of my life.

This upset me at first. How could she assume that I had no one there? Did she think I didn't have any friends or loved ones besides our family?

Rude, but unfortunately true.

Between the countless people I had met in that place, none had really made an impression. Within my first week in Enobizaka, however, there were many.

Two days after my arrival, the winds died down and the sky reluctantly decided to show itself. The village was one where almost everyone knew each other, so my sister decided that I should exit the house and socialize.

"Socializing is hard," I whined, "I would much rather have lunch first."

"Oh, my baby sister, the only people you know in this place is me. It is my duty to make sure you do not become a hermit," Luka replied snippily.

I put down my sewing needles and stretched my back. "I actually know two other people for your information. I met the shrine priest and his son the day I got here. I told you, but you were too engrossed in work to pay attention. _And_ Kagamine-sama said he never properly met _you_."

"Well, that is different…" she mumbled under her breath. "Fine. We will have lunch, but it will be outside! There is a lake right near here that we can eat besides. Maybe we can do something about your pale form."

"Tch, I'm not pale." I looked at my hand. _Okay, maybe a little._

We strolled through the dirt roads of Enobizaka. People now littered the streets. If their population was small, that meant everyone must be out and about. Villagers gave me curious glances and waved to Luka. She gave her cute smile and waved back each time.

It was hard not to compare myself to my sister in terms of looks. I was by no means ugly but would never measure up to my sister's standards. Her long pink hair fell perfectly down her yellow kimono, and her blue eyes shone brightly in the welcoming sun. Her face was like a porcelain doll, perfect. No one would believe she was thirty years old.

My hairwas certainly different. It was pale blond until my lower back, where it branch off into every color of the rainbow. I never knew where I had inherited it from. My black kimono with red sash didn't fit as perfectly as my sister's fit her. I always felt undermined walking next to Luka. Eyes were always drawn to her.

Ignoring it, I contented myself in looking around. Luka pointed out important buildings or significant areas.

"And that's Yukari's house. They supply us with fabric. Their daughter is a year older than you I believe."

"I think you said you were going there during the storm, right?" I asked.

"Yes! We were running low and work doesn't take break because of a measly thunder storm," Luka explained.

I knew we reached our destination when the smell of salt water evaded my senses. I had seen a lot of water the past few days, but it had been a while since seeing something so gorgeous as cherry blossom petals floating on the crystal clear surface.

"Wow," I breathed out, "You don't see this very often in the city."

"I hope Enobizaka never becomes a city. This village shouldn't change ever."

"It _is_ pretty nice."

"Okay! Let's eat!"

Luka handed me an okigiri and we knelt down feet away from the edge of the lake.

"So this priest's son, how old is he?" Luka questioned.

"I don't know. He seemed to be about my age," I replied casually, biting into my rice.

"I see."

"Wait, what's with that 'I see'?"

"Nothing! It's just your nineteen, about time to getting marri-"

"No! No, no, no, no! Not going to happen! I have had two fairly awkward conversations with him, and he acts pretty strange. You do not have the right to judge! You're thirty and still not married!" I shouted.

"Actually, I _am_ married." She leaned over and showed me a ring on her fourth finger.

"EH?!"

"Yep! His name is Kaito, and he is out of town a lot! I can't wait for you to meet him when he gets back from-"

"HOLD ON A MOMENT!"

 _Kaito? No, this Kaito travels and that Kaito is a shrine priest. They said they never really met each other either. And he's married anyway to…_

"Hey, One-san? Do you like the color red?"

"Uh, not really."

 _THANKKAMI! Just checking, Len is not my nephew. Two Kaito's, though? What are the chances of that? Strange village…_

"Wait, though! Why on earth didn't you tell me? I could have been there for the wedding at least!"

"About that," my sister took a deep breath and began talking rapidly, "It happened right after Oka-san and Oto-san's death. I figured you wouldn't want to travel, and then I was too afraid to write it to you in a letter because you would be mad at me and so I invited you to live here!"

I sighed. "Okay, okay. I won't forgive you until I meet him though! I always knew you would be a fantastic wife."

She beamed at me and we finished our lunch, talking about endless things.

The sun was halfway down its departure path as we walked through the center of town towards our home. At first glance, you could tell something was happening. People crowded in a circle, sharing distasteful glances with each other, then focusing back on the circle's center.

A high voice shouted over the rumbling of the spectators.

"I swear it's true!" It said with confidence, "Our Sarutahiko Okami spoke to me! He was in the form of a tree! He told me many things about this village's future!"

I looked at Luka, and we both gracefully shoved people to see who was speaking.

It was a small girl with short green hair and orange kimono. She had one arm risen in the air, pointing to the sky. Across the clearing, I could see Len watching too with a girl that looked strikingly like him and another with cyan twin tails.

"It is Megpoid Gumi. I am not surprised," my sister whispered to me, "she has always been unstable."

"You!" Megpoid pointed to the girl with the twin tails, "You are in great danger! The tree favors you however! And told me to warn you officially! There will be many tragedies befallen on this village! You as well!" she reeled around and pointed directly at me, "You are also in danger! Beware of your surroundings, girl. Especially of what is right in front of you!"

"Don't pay her any mind," Luka told me.

"You!" She then directed her attention to my companion. "Your sins will be answered for! You wait!"

My sister sighed and dragged me out of the crowd. "You have seen our town nut. Best to avoid her."

Such as strange village I winded up in.


	3. Very Peaceful

Walking through town proved difficult, I realized when my first full week in Enobizaka came to a close. That day was no different, people stared at me moving across the streets. Maybe it was because I was an outsider, but it was probably because I looked like a pack mule on two legs.

Each step was a struggle, trying to balance five rolls of fabric on my fragile arms. If only Luka hadn't taken the cart that day to do kami-knows-what. The sun glared down upon the village like it never had stormed a little while ago. It was an all-around unpleasant experience.

The only good part of today was meeting the before-mentioned Yuzuki's. Their only daughter, Yukari (she insisted on "Yuka") was quite nice and invited me to tea in a couple days. Maybe making friends wasn't too bad.

These thoughts granted me the strength to haul my cloth to my home. The problem arose when trying to open the door.

 _I can drop my fabric, but then they would get all dusty and cleaning cloth is a living nightmare…_

"Do you need help?" a voice behind me made me jump.

I bent my neck uncomfortably to see who it was, surprised in seeing the shrine priest, Kaito, and Len not far behind.

"Y-yes! That would be great! Could you hold these for a second while I get my key?" I accepted.

"Len, hold the fabric for the lady. I am old and brittle."

He sighed. "You are only forty-one, but fine."

My shoulders relaxed as I passed my burden to Len. Our hands brushed briefly when I pulled back. The towering wall of rolls between us hid both of our blushes. I retrieved my key quickly since Len was balancing the cloth as well as I did. Also, Kaito's smirk wouldn't go away.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, taking back the load. "Were you passing by or do you need anything from me?"

"I am here with my wife's measurements!" Kaito replied jubilantly. He brandished the parchment in the air.

I swiftly kicked off my sandals and put the fabric rolls in their respective drawers.

"Great. And, these are…all her measurements, correct?" I asked hesitantly and wondering if he knew he was swinging them in the air for the whole town to see.

"U-uh, y-yes," he sputtered, now hanging his head in embarrassment.

"It's nice to see you all flustered for once, Oto-sama," Len commented.

"Respect your elders!" his playful expression did not match his tone. He turned back to me. "You said you could make it in a week?"

"Yep. My sister has been hogging all the orders. You can come by this time next Tuesday."

"Amazing! Now, my little boy Len told me you were promised a tour of Enobizaka. Has anyone else done that for you yet?"

"Oto-sama…" Len said threateningly.

"Actually, no," I responded.

"Perfect! I have work to do. Hidari-san, I wish you luck if you're spending the day with my son. Bye!"

"WHY MUST YOU DO THIS, OTO-SAMA!?"

I attempted to stifle a laugh. It didn't work.

"He always has to embarrass me…" Len grumbled.

"I think it's pretty funny, but if you had other plans for today, I can always ask my sister for a tour instead," I soothed the fuming boy.

"No! I mean, I guess I could take you around. It's not a very big village anyways." He laughed sheepishly. _Cute…_

"Sure, that would be great. Oh! Let me leave a note for my sister first."

I scribbled on parchment and left it on the kitchen counter. It read:

 _Dear One-san,_

 _I am taking a tour of Enobizaka with Kagamine Len, the shrine priest's son. Wipe that smile off your face. We are just friends. Tell me if your husband comes back in this time._

 _-Mayu_

I slipped my sandals back on, adjusted my bun, and followed Len out the door.

"I saw you the other day when Megpoid was on one of her rants. Don't pay her any mind. She has always been a little not right in the head," he told me as we made it through the clearing in the center of town.

"There are some very interesting characters in this place."

"There most definitely are. My whole family being some of them…"

"Do you have siblings then?"

"Yes. My older sister Miku is nineteen, and my twin sister Rin is my age, eighteen."

"That's my age too! My sister is thirty," I said.

"Thirty?! From what I've seen of her, she looks Miku's age. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You've seen my father."

"That is true."

"Okay. That," he pointed to a small home to our left, "Is the herbalist's home. Go there if you need anything medical. Next to the entrance of the village is the small barracks. Only one person lives there, and he will get switched out in a few days."

"Wow. In the city, there were at least a hundred people in the barracks at all times. I guess there isn't much crime here."

"The occasional robbery. There hasn't been any murders while I was alive. It's very peaceful, I think. How long do you intend on staying this time?" I could he was waiting to ask that.

I pondered the question. I wasn't too sure myself. "Hm. I suppose if Enobizaka is peaceful as you say, I'll be here for a while. Unless, of course, I am attacked by the tree minions."

Len smiled. "Good."

We continued, Len pointing out the blacksmith, the leather smith, the carpenter, etc., and were nearly on the edge of town now. I think walking with a memorable member of the community upped my reputation with the passersby.

"I think that's all you need to know! The rest is all residential and-"

"What about the shrine? It's right over there, isn't it?" I nodded towards the tori gate down the street.

"U-uh, I'm not sure that would be a good idea. My mother would probably make a huge deal out of bringing…out of everything, and don't get me started on my sisters."

I giggled. "Okay, I get it! I know exactly how you feel." Luka's teasing when I get back would be unbearable.

"LEEENN-NI!" A high-pitched voice caused Len to tense.

"We're too late," he whispered.

That girl from the other day who looked like Len bounded towards him and nearly knocked him to the ground in a hug.

"Ne-san. If you would please let go now," Len gasped.

"Sorry, Len-ni. I was worried since Oto-san wouldn't tell me where you were, AND IS THAT A GIRL WITH YOU?!"

I gave an awkward wave.

"Maybe."

"YOU'RE FINALLY INTERESTED IN SOMEONE OF THE OPPOSITE GENDER?! THANK KAMI! I WAS GETTING WORRIED!" the girl who was obviously Rin yelled. Some people walking past gave estranged looks.

"Stop shouting, please!" Len begged, "And over-exaggerating things!"

"Sorry again! My name is Kagamine Rin. And you are?" she switched gears and bowed.

"Hidari Mayu. I'm Megurine Luka's sister."

"Oh, I've seen her! She's so pretty like you! Okay, so tell me all about how you met my brother, and I can get my mother to make us some tea."

"I-I'm sure she has other plans for the day!" Len shouted as Rin started pulling me towards the gate.

"I'm sure she can spare some time, right Mayu-san?"

"W-well…"

What was I more terrified of? Embarrassing myself in front of the Kagamine's or this woman's death grip?

"I-I guess it's fine?"


	4. The Purple Samurai

My legs arm complained relentlessly as this Rin girl continued to drag me up the path to reach the shrine. _Why does it have to be so high up?_

The golden-haired girl in front of me was laughing giddily and singing something under her breath. It wasn't until we were nearly to their front door did I decipher what she was saying.

"Got to hurry before she changes her mind! Got to hurry before she changes her mind!"

Len trailed us the whole time, looking utterly defeated and crestfallen.

Past the main shrine, the two-story wooden house of the Kagamine's came into view. That woman with the cyan twin tails swept the front porch, wearing an apron over her blue kimono. She must have been Miku. I marveled at the girl again, how could this town have so many beautiful people?! My self-confidence steadily declined.

"Rin-ne! Did you find Len-ni?!" she called, waving her over.

"I found him alright! Guess who he was with~?"

Rin yanked me into view of Miku. The older sister melodramatically gasped.

"IT'S A GIRL!"

Len finally appeared in front of me. "Why was that both of your reactions?"

"OKA-SAN! MAKE SOME TEA! WE GOT A GUEST!" Miku screamed into the open door.

"WHY ARE YOU YELLING SO LOUDLY?!" A deeper female voice shouted back.

"JUST MAKE SOME TEA!"

Ten minutes later, I found myself wedged between a chattering Meiko and an uncomfortable Len. Miku and Rin sat across the kotatsu with splintering smiles.

"Creeped out, just a little…" I whispered to Len.

"I'm so sorry."

Meiko, no surprise, was also stunning but with a more mature aura about her. Also looking younger than her age, it didn't stop her from talking a mile a minute like a teenaged girl.

"So, you're Megurine Luka's sister, huh?" Meiko took a breather.

"Y-yes!"

"Aw, and you moved just to work with her? How sweet. I met your parents once or twice. Not very talkative, but good people, I bet. Why were you not living with them, may I ask?"

"That's a long story," I replied stiffly.

"Okay, I get it," she stopped pursuing. Finally, a woman who can read the atmosphere. "What do you do in your free time?"

"Mostly sewing, reading, nothing interesting."

"Ah, but that is very interesting! I've always wanted to sew, but I am absolutely dreadful at it. Maybe you can teach me some time."

I smiled. "I'd love to."

"And reading! Len loves reading. You know, he'll probably get angry for mentioning that he-"

"If I will hate you mentioning something then please don't say it right in front of me!" he moaned.

"He's always the shy type, but he really enjoys writing stories. You should totally show them to her sometime!" Meiko enthused.

"You were right, Oka-san. I did not want you saying that at all." Len hid his face in his hands.

Len's torture was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Coming!" called Meiko.

The woman sauntered over, torn between disappointment for being ripped away from her teasing and polite obligation.

As Meiko disappeared, Len let out a sigh of relief.

"How do you live with so many women?" I asked, "I can hardly handle Luka, and I'm a girl."

"I wonder how I do it most of the time too..."

A scream from the next room over brought all four of us to our feet. Like second nature, we sprinted to where Meiko was. Images of the worst possible situation entered my mind without warning.

"What happened?!" Len shouted first.

We stopped as soon as we saw Meiko's smile. She was laughing next to a man with long purple hair and a katana on his side.

"Oh, it's just Gakupo," Rin said dully.

I needed to breath properly. _What was I thinking? I didn't realize my imagination was so dark._

"Sorry to scare you guys!" Meiko managed between laughs, "Mayu-san, this is my childhood friend, Gakupo. He is staying in Enobizaka for the next few months."

White, purple trimmed kimono, katana, straight spine, and a condescending look in his eyes.

"Are you a samurai?" I questioned.

A smirk played across his lips as he examined me up and down, "Smart girl, are you Rin or Miku's friend?"

" _Len's_ ," Meiko whispered loudly.

The samurai gaped. "Little Len has finally grown up."

Considering it was the second time that day he had been referred to as "little", Len's infuriated shaking and maddening blush was understandable.

"I thought you weren't visiting for another couple days," Len seethed.

"Aw, are you not happy to see me?"

I was the only one to hear the boy's response. "As long as you stay away from my mother..."

"I think we tortured the young girl enough. Gakupo and I will catch up. Len, walk Mayu-san home," the mother commanded.

"Fine, Oka-san."

I smiled at the retreating sun as I realized that today was actually fun. It scared me that it had been awhile since I had a genuinely good day. Despite the Kagamine's faults, they were charming in their own...creepy way, especially the boy walking me home at that moment.

Currently, he was awkwardly stealing glances my way every minute or so. My good day must have been hell for him.

"You don't seem to like that Gakupo person," I observed.

"It's that obvious, isn't it?"

"Pretty much. Any reason?"

"I don't think he is without ulterior motives."

"So, he's a flirt?"

"Yes. So sorry about everything."

"No, it's fine. I had a great time today," I assured him. " _Little Len._ "

"You have no right, you're shorter than me!"

I stopped and placed my hand on the top of my head, moving it through the air to reach Len's. We were the exact same height.

"Hm, I wouldn't say that, and I'm girl."

"The true nature of all women has been exposed I see. Can never get over my height," he huffed.

"Aw, I wouldn't say that. Just don't shoot for the excessively tall girls.

"I wasn't planning to."

I clenched my teeth to ward off my mind from possible insinuations. My home was approaching quickly.

"Looks like this is where I leave you," I sighed, trying to hide the disappointment in my voice. "One more question. How old is Gakupo?"

"Forty-two, I think."

"Okay, I will find where you people hide the fountain of youth. Until then, your welcome to pick up that kimono for your mother any time next week, or you know, stop by any time..."

Len gave a shining smile before nodding. "See you soon."

Entering my house was a poor decision.

"MAYU-NE, WERE YOU WITH THAT BOY ALL DAY?! I GOT YOUR NOTE AND, I MUST SAY, I APPROVE FULL-HEARTEDLY! WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS, BUT STILL!"

Ignoring my sister and sitting down for some late night work, my mind wandered to the three simple words, _See you soon._


	5. A Tree's Instructions

My usually busy hands were poised steady in prayer. Small stacks of incense wafted through the air in front of my parents' pictures. I rarely visited the two mini shrines in our house, but it was unavoidable every once in a while.

I kept my thoughts brief and impersonal, just like my relationship with them. Luka was the better daughter even after death, always spending a half an hour there every day. When my patience wore thin, I stood from my knees and prepared some edamame for my hostess that day. Luka had vanished off the face of the earth once again. I could she worked diligently early that morning, though, since her materials were strewn about everywhere.

A small glint caught my eye as I turned to leave. After a brevity of rummaging, I found the object by cutting myself.

"Itai!"

Luckily, it wasn't my dominant hand, but the shallow cut blotched my pale skin. With my unharmed right hand, I picked up the object carefully.

They were my mother's pair of scissors, always razor sharp. Now, a single streak of blood crawled down it. I hadn't noticed my sister using them before, but it made sense. The clock informed me that I would be late if I didn't get a move on. Panicking, I just placed the scissors on a counter to clean later. Snagging a roll of bandages for the go, I set off for the Yuzuki house.

I admired my handiwork. The bandage fit perfectly around my hand like it was done by a proper nurse. The lengthy hike up to the little house separated from the main town gave me plenty of time to administer to my wound. How clumsy of me.

The door of the Yuzuki residence slid open before I reached it. A petite girl with purple hair and matching kimono popped out.

"Hi, Yukari, I mean, Yuka!" I stumbled on my greeting, not used to being so casual on second meeting.

"Hi Mayu! What happened to your hand?" she zeroed in on my injury straight away.

"Nothing, really. Just cut myself on scissors."

"Hm? Okay! I've cut myself on scissors many times! As long as you went to the doctor…"

I didn't bother to correct her as we escaped the humid air into the building.

"Thanks for the edamame! I have to warn you, another guest might arrive soon. Hopefully not." Yuka mumbled the last part.

"Sure that's fine," I responded, kneeling down in front of a tea cup. "I've been trying to get acquainted with people."

"You have probably already seen her around. She might not be someone you wish to be acquainted with."

Imagining who that could be, Yuka began explaining that her parents were away for a few weeks, and she was left in charge of commanding their workers. This is how her business worked: they paid people to gather silk worms and caterpillars they domesticated and deliver them to the Yuzukis. Yuka and her parents then made a silk cloth, tan, from the insects. I, along with women who sew their own clothing, bought the finished product.

"So, I was told you spent the day with a _boy_ a little while back," Yuka purred.

My face instantly glowed red at her insinuation. "I swear! You, Rin-san, and Onee-san should be sisters. It's like all you people care about is _totally platonic_ relationships that will never become more than that."

"Really now? Then, why are you so flustered~?"

I was ready to snap again, but a flying object interrupted me. A flash of green and orange swished across the table and onto the floor beside me. Mouth still open, I stared blankly at was apparently not an object, but a short girl with wild green hair. _It can't be._

Megpoid Gumi straightened her back and turned briskly to my hostess.

"Yukari! He talked to me again today! He said from now on, his companion will be communicating with me. What do you think this means?!"

Yuka, for the first time since I met her, sighed. "It means you are breaking into my house again to tell me things that are in all likelihood, complete nonsense."

Megpoid went on as if she didn't hear the insult. "We need to go on a mission."

"Never again."

"No, the problem is real this time! We have to investigate this Gakupo. He arrived in town three months earlier than planned. Why do you think that is?" Megpoid questioned.

"I have no idea."

"Exactly!"

"Okay, hold on," I slowed the two's banter down. "What on earth does Gakupo-sama have to do with anything?"

"WHO ARE YOU?! Wait, I know who you are. You are the sister of the vixen."

"The _what?_ "

"You address this mysterious Gakupo as _–sama,_ why is that?" I understood fully why Luka called her the town nut.

"Because he is a samurai?"

"THE TREE DID NOT INFORM ME OF SUCH MATTERS!"

"NO ONE GETS TO SCREAM IN THIS HOUSE EXCEPT ME, GOT IT?!" Yuka slammed her tea.

"Okay!" Megpoid and I squeaked.

"NOW, GUMI, YOU ARE GOING TO TELL US WHAT IS HAPPENING, YOU ARE GOING TO RESPECT MY FRIEND, AND YOU ARE GOING TO STOP SPEAKING CRAZY!"

Megpoid's disheveled hair combined with her look of fear to make her look like she escaped a prison.

"Gakupo is up to something so we are going to spy on him. Obviously."

"Will this make you not break into my house, _ever again?_ "

"Deal."

"We are bringing Mayu."

"What?" I interjected.

"You know this Gakupo person, is there anything suspicious about him?"

I shifted under both of their expecting gazes. Sure, there were faults with this flirting samurai, but allowing a deranged girl stalk him?

"I have to invite one other person."

"Fine. By the way, you can call me Gumi."

"Aren't you the cloth maker, and aren't you the one who claimed my sister and friend were in danger?" Len asked at his front door.

"Good to meet you too! Now, we are kidnapping you," Yuka said.

"W-what?"

The two girls each grabbed an arm and yanked him onto the trail that lead back to the village. I stood off to the side.

"Guys, I said _invite_ him, not _kidnap_ him," I told them.

"Mayu-san?" Len looked confused, like in a dream or something.

"What's the difference?" Gumi responded.

"Whether or not you are using force against them."

Yuka and Gumi pouted and released him. He fell to his knees.

"What is even happening?"

"Sorry, Len-kun! It's a long story but, do you want to investigate a certain samurai?"

The boy remained on the ground and processed. Eyes lighting up in understanding, he nodded. I helped him up, and the four of us were on our way to follow the instructions of a tree.


	6. Pursuit of the Snake

"I have done many things," Len commented as we watched Gakupo from the shadows, "but I have never stalked anyone before."

"I have!" cheered Gumi.

"I am not surprised," I said.

"Are you saying you've never stalked anyone, Mayu-san?" Yuka questioned.

"Are you saying you have?! No, I've never stalked…okay maybe that one time but he deserved it!"

"Oh my kami," Len deadpanned, "I've been kidnapped by stalkers."

"Hey! You are not being held against your will anymore!"

" _Anymore._ "

"And we are merely following him without his knowledge or consent while hiding in alleyways!"

"I'm pretty sure that is called stalking-"

"Guys!" Yuka whispered, "Stop your flirting; the snake is on the move."

I softly punched my friend to distract her from the maddening blush that corrupted my face. I did not look, but I was vaguely aware of Len giving the same reaction.

Yuka smiled and led us along the adjacent street to the one Gakupo strolled on. We caught a glimpse of him only between the passing buildings. The man who wore such a bubbly aura about him the other day now looked like a great weight was on his mind. Gumi had a similar contrast to her usual restless personality.

"What happened to your hand?" Len caught up to me as we continued to pursue "the snake".

"Just cut myself on scissors. I don't know what I was doing. Haven't sliced myself like that for years."

"Does it hurt?"

 _Welcome back, boy who asks too many questions._ I contracted my muscles in my hand. "Not that much." It was a lie.

"Ne-chan!" a voice stopped me in my tracks. _Please, no._

My head whipped towards the source. My worst fears came true. My beautiful, pink-haired sister spotted me from across the street with the girl I am supposed to be having tea with, a boy, and a girl who accused her in public of being a sinner who will receive retribution. I just hoped she did not notice who we were tailing.

"Luka!" I greeted with blatantly fake hospitality. "What brings you to this part of town?"

My sister raised her eyebrows at my three companions who were staring like they were in the midst of a terrifying creature.

"I could ask you the same thing, _Ne-san._ Is that Yuzuki, the town psycho, and someone from the _male gender_ you are with?"

"Possibly."

"Is this one the shrine priest's son you told me _all_ about?"

"You mean the one you gorged information out of me about like you were gutting a fish? Then, yes."

"He's quite short for his age, don't you think?"

"You don't have to rub it in!" Len moaned.

Luka laughed heartily and scanned the road. "I really must be going now. I have an appointment. I will save my interrogation about this later.

"But, you haven't told me what you're actually doing…"

She was gone in a swish of pink. The girl had some celerity, I could give her that. Out of the corner of my eye, Gumi stared daggers at Luka's retreating figure until it vanished.

"Sisters." I sighed.

"Tell me about it," Len added.

"We are going to lose him!" Yuka reminded us as she restlessly ran in place.

Our sandals continued to smash against the ground, increasing speed when Gakupo did, slowing when he did. Throughout the pursuit, I waited for him to notice us, and this whole plan would be put to rest. His focus never drifted from the road in front of him.

The farther we strayed from the center of Enobizaka, the fewer people milled about. Fewer houses were in pristine condition. Fewer faces smiled as we passed. I could tell the less hospitable or different villagers were banished to the outskirts.

Soon, we were on the edge, at one of the two structures built of stone in the town. Gakupo stopped at the entrance of the barracks. Our group bided our time behind a small house nearby. My heart should have been in chattering chaos, but it remained steady like I had done this before. That feeling crept up on me more often these days.

Len and I exchanged a skeptical look, but Gumi was poised for action. She squatted down at the corner of the building, watching Gakupo with narrowed eyes like a predator.

For twenty minutes, we remained there. No one moved from their spot. I was growing impatient quickly. Gumi stayed vigilant, and Yuka had a surprising calm about her. Len's face was harder to read.

Finally, another being decided to walk down that path. A woman, wearing a red cloak, face obscured by the fabric. The second I saw her, I knew who it was. The way Len shifted beside me said he knew too.

The woman approached the samurai and took off her hood. The beautiful face of Kagamine Meiko showed itself. I cringed at what could be going through Len's head right now. His mother meeting in secret her childhood friend, who happened to be a womanizer.

The other two in our party did not recognize the shrine priest's wife. True, they did live more isolated than most in the town. Maybe that was a good thing.

I strained to hear what the two were saying; we were on the brink of earshot.

"Thank you for coming to Enobizaka," Meiko said.

"How could I not? Your letter was quite frightening," Gakupo replied.

"…I felt it again today."

"Me as well. Do you have any idea who would be following you?"

"I have no idea! But, whenever I go outside the shrine, it is always there. The presence started right after I finished taking a walk with Kaito."

"Do you think they are after him?" pressed Gakupo, "if that is the case, then you should leave the village with your children until-"

"No!" she denied firmly, "I will not leave my husband! You know that I love him! The girls and Len do too!"

The man sighed like someone his age would. He paused for a long time before turning away and saying, "I will try to do what I can to protect you, but do not leave the house unless you have to, Meiko."

She wordlessly brought up her hood and started walking the opposite direction. "Do not harbor any harsh feelings toward Kaito."

"Tch."

Yuka and Gumi caught on eventually.

Out long walk to out prospective homes gave everyone time to process things. I clenched my fists. _Who the hell would be following Meiko-san?_ Frustration turned towards myself at my inability to comfort Len who continued to be beside me on our journey.

Everything I thought I could say sounded cliché or insensitive. We had only known each other for a short time, but I _had_ to say something. He could not talk to his sisters about this, and he did not seem like the most popular boy in Enobizaka with friends aplenty. _SAY SOMETHING!_

"Whoever is doing this," I finally breathed out, "we'll catch them. Yes, definitely. I believe we will. Okay?"

He looked at me with that unreadable expression again. I was worried that was not the right thing to say, but then he smiled. Just a little.

"Definitely."


	7. Red Kimono

Quiet. So silent you could hear a pin drop. That was how the work sessions with my sister went. Stitch, stitch, stitch until my fingers were numb. Pick up the scissors. Slice, slice, slice the fabric of every color and texture. The occasional light thump of a tool being placed on the ground. We made the best clothing in the countryside, but kami help me, it was tedious.

The idea of constant silence was not foreign to me. My grandparents were not excitable people toward the end of their span. I just hoped sewing alongside my sister would be a little different.

"Aha!" I exclaimed, shattering the irritable quiet. I hopped up, shook my feet that had fallen asleep rather inelegantly, and held up my first real finished order: Meiko's red kimono.

The product of my hard labor made me want to laugh with glee. It was made of the finest of blood red _tan_ Yuka could supply, but there was more. Shining gold thread that reminded me of the twins' hair was embedded in the fabric, creating designs of lotus flowers. The _obi_ was a matching gold but with red thread swirling to make a paisley pattern and-I took a risk with this part-small bear faces that I attempted to make as feminine as possible.

Luka glanced up from the _haori_ she was embroidering. A proud smile spread across her face as she nodded with approval.

"Very beautiful! I'm sure the client will be satisfied. One question, though. Why bears for a woman?" her head tilted to the side in thought.

I pondered for a few moments, not too sure myself why I chose such an unconventional animal. Then again, Meiko seemed to be an unconventional person.

"I just think it suits her."

Not looking thoroughly convinced, my sister turned back to her work. That was all she wanted to do lately. Work and work and work some more, always with perfect grace. Unlike me, who when realizing I had nowhere to go today, put down my hair and loosened my _obi_ to be comfortable.

"I expect your husband will be coming back soon," I commented as I gingerly folded the kimono. "Or is he that afraid of his sister-in-law?"

"He will come back when he is done with his job," Luka replied. "It would be selfish of me to call him back any sooner."

"It is a wife's job to be selfish. He better be back soon or else his wife will be too old to have babies."

"You sound like mother," Luka shot back. "And you are one to talk. You're eighteen and still unmarried."

"It seems if you live in this town, you look half of your age, so I'll be fine for a while."

Before she could rebuke, a knock rang out from the door.

"I'll get it." I volunteered.

" _Mayu!_ " Luka hissed, " _Tighten your kimono!_ "

The knocking continued as I hurriedly tightened the sash. There was no time to do my hair, but what did it really matter? I noticed Luka left the room, muttering something about it being her shrine time.

I slid open the door with difficulty and was faced with a familiar pair.

"Good morning, Hidari-san!" Kaito greeted.

Len was beside him and gave a smile. I was suddenly extremely self-aware.

"Good morning. Perfect timing! I just finished your wife's kimono, actually." _Aaagh! How could I forget he was coming to pick it up?!_

"Fantastic! I hope you don't mind that Len tagged along. When I said I was going to pick it up, he jumped up right away to come with m- _ouch_!"

Len glared down at his father, hand poised to strike his shoulder again if one more word left his mouth. I could not help but laugh and widened the door so they could enter.

"My sister has disappeared again, sorry about that. Do you, by any chance, know her husband? I just became aware of his existence of few weeks ago."

"Megurine-san has a husband?!" Kaito exclaimed. "I had no idea either. I didn't perform the ceremony."

"That is strange. She never lets me question her too much about him. I'm starting to feel he doesn't even exist, but that's not what you're here for!"

I walked over to the kimono with the _obi_ and placed them on the ground.

Kaito's eyes widened. "It's _perfect._ She's going to love it. Oh my goodness, look at the gold!" He continued talking to himself like a teenaged girl as Len slid over to me.

"It's really beautiful," he said.

I fought the hotness in my face. "O-oh, it was nothing. I didn't have anything else to work on, so I just put my energy into this. Yuka supplied great fabric and, w-well-"

I stopped when he burst out laughing. I was being ridiculous today.

"But, why bears?" he asked after finally controlling himself.

I turned in indignation. Why did everyone have to judge my bears? "I think they suit her is all."

"I can see it."

I punched the air in victory. "I'm not crazy!"

"Sure you aren't" he said sarcastically. I punched his arm much like he did his father's. "So, what animal would suit me, then?"

"Hm." I looked him over. I could tell he felt my eyes on him as he adverted his gaze nervously. "A sparrow. Because they're _little._ Like _Little Len._ "

His father unsuccessfully tried to conceal a giggle. Len looked horrified. "Curse you, Gakupo, for spreading slander."

"Oh, Gakupo. He always came up with nicknames for everyone. I didn't know Hidari-san met him."

"Briefly once," I lied. "He seemed to be…presumptuous might be the kindest word."

"That certainly sounds like him. Ah, we really must be going. How much for the gorgeous kimono?"

He paid the (slightly discounted) price and was out the door like lightening. I gave my goodbyes to Len.

"You can come by whenever," I reminded him. "I'm not sure when the next impromptu stake out will be because of Gumi's spontaneousness."

"Thanks. Could I visit three days from now? I think I want to show you something."

"Sure!" I tried to think of anything he would want to show me but came up with nothing. "Bye, then."

"Bye."

He caught up with his father and waved behind him. I waved back.

Then, I shut the door, went to the threshold of the shrine room, and watched for a few seconds. My sister was in an intense praying position, head to the ground. Her body was poised precisely and elegantly. A floorboard creaked as I made my first step out. Only then did her body shake silently with sobs.


	8. What We Don't Do Here

The methodic bangs of my mallet along with the never ceasing bitter wind and the fact that is was 5 A.M. caused my morning to be not enjoyable. My shortness with the woman who could be helping me but decided to instead innocently wave at people passing by was reasonable.

Today was a Saturday when shopkeepers or those looking for a few extra coins would put up stalls for their various goods. My sister told me our parents would do this every weekend, but she never had the motivation to do it herself. Even after she decided to give it a shot, she forced me to actually _build_ the stall from the pieces left behind by our deceased father. Curse her neglectful husband; he should have been the one doing this.

"You have to hurry if we want to finish by six," Luka said as she smiled at a man setting up his stall next to us.

"You know," I pointed out before slamming another nail into place, "It would be about twice as fast if you actually did something."

"It is not presentable for a lady of right birth to do such physical labor in front of men. Especially married women. You are the more tomboyish of us two. It wouldn't be much of a problem if you are seen like this."

"Don't insult a girl with a mallet," I whispered under my breath.

"I heard that!" she sang.

"Well, you're already the most beautiful woman in Enobizaka, and there's no man to impress because you have a husband. It would be more logical for the eldest to do this."

"Are you saying you are trying to impress a man, then?"

For a fleeting moment, Len popped into my head. " _N-no, I am not!_ "

Luka smiled broadly. "So easy to read."

I made a sour face and continued hammering. Halfway done now.

A few minutes passed until Luka opened her mouth again. "Besides, I don't think I'm exactly the most beautiful woman in Enobizaka."

A mirthlessly laughed. "I have met a lot of people, albeit mostly attractive people, here, but I still think you're the prettiest I've seen…anywhere for that matter."

"Awww!" she cooed. "You're adorable too!"

Without warning, she embraced me from behind. I let out a strangled cry. "Don't let that get to your head and don't assault people this early in the morning!"

"Sorry, Nee-san!" She was not sorry. "I'm going to pick out some of our work to display, now!"

"Actually pick some of mine, then!"

Luka disappeared into our house several feet away. Since the shop was in the town circle, where the majority of stalls were, we could conveniently set up by our doorstep.

I continued to bang, bang, bang against the wooden boards. I was starting to get the hang of it. Luka was spending an awfully long time picking from her vast collection of finished products. She might have had the edge over me on efficiency, but I took pride in my detailed masterpieces.

"Mayu-chan!" a cheery voice ripped me out of my reverie.

"Rin-san?" I turned towards the short golden-haired girl who had that mischievous glint in her eyes at all times. Len stood next to her with a light smile as well. "Len-kun. Hey!"

"Hi!" Rin answered. Len was about to speak before his sister cut in right away. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, um. Just trying to make a stall."

"You're _making_ your stall? Wasn't it already built and you just have to carry it out?"

"If only," I replied, positioning a board. "My _baka_ sister thought it would be a brilliant idea to tear it apart to sell it, but then decided to keep it. Then, she enlisted me into doing all the labor."

"Sounds like sisters," commented Len.

Rin shot a glare I was glad was not aimed towards me.

"I-I mean," he quickly amended, "Shouldn't Megurine-san's husband be doing this?"

I sighed. "He remains a mystery."

"Megurine-san has a _husband?_ " Rin gaped.

"Apparently so."

"I always wondered why she was still unmarried at her age with those looks."

"I still wonder why it took so long."

Rin's gaze wandered to the sun just rising in the sky. "Ah! Len, we have to help Oto-sama clean the shrine today. We should start heading back."

He stole a glance at me and responded regrettably. "Of course."

"Sounds like great…fun. See you guys!" I hid my disappointment as best as I could. It seemed the only times I get to spend some time with Len was during undercover missions devised by an insane girl.

"Bye, see you!" they said at the same time, which I found adorable, and departed. The street began to fill with more shopkeepers, but it seemed lonelier to me.

By 6:50 A.M, I finished the stall, and it was not built that shabbily if I may say so myself. Luka finally emerged from the house, carrying three folded items in her arms.

"It took you _that_ long to pick _three_ things?" I gawked.

"No, of course not. I'm not that unreasonable," she replied, "I must carry things three at a time or else I would look silly holding so many things at once."

"That falls into the realm of unreasonable." I thought back to a few weeks ago when I was forced to haul all that cloth from Yuka's house because of a certain somebody.

"Set up these. I will get some more."

Mumbling insults directed at her back, I unfolded two _yukatas_ and an _obi._ The _obi_ was my work while the _yukatas_ were hers. Typical.

As Luka continued to give me more cloth, I continued to lay them out nicely on the wooden rectangular prisms that were around three sides of me. We had everything one would need to wear: _kimonos, haoris, tari_ socks, _obis, geta_ and _zori_ sandals, and even a _junihitoe,_ the most formal of kimonos. Who would wear it in a small village such as this, I did not know. About twenty percent of the items were sewn by me.

A little late in setting up, the circle was already buzzing with people by the time the last piece was laid down. Even being the only trained tailors in Enobizaka, business was slow. True, our prices could have been a little lower, but if I did that, Luka along with the spirits of my grandparents would descend upon me.

Luka sat off to the side with a serene expression.

"You could stand over here and attract men with your allure if you want to be useful," I told her as the first half hour ticked by without a single customer.

"Like you said, _married_ women don't have to worry over such things. Attract them with your own allure."

I sighed. "What allure?"

"Excuse me, miss," a crumpled voice asked.

I turned swiftly and put on my business smile. An old woman a head shorter than me gave a squinty smile in response. "

"Excuse me again, but aren't you friends with the Kagamines?" she wondered.

"Y-yes, I suppose you could say that."

"That's good. Welcome to Enobizaka."

"Thank you, Oba-sama." I chose my words carefully, not wanted to let my first sale escape, but I could not help but comment, "The Kagamines are very well liked here, aren't they?"

Her smile grew. "Oh, yes. Everyone likes them."

"You wouldn't happen to know of anyone that would hold a grudge against Kagamine Meiko-sama, would you?"

"No, no. That would be impossible," she assured me. "We don't hold grudges here in Enobizaka."

"Why is that?"

A few people milling about must have heard about me being friends with the Kagamines for people starting gathering around our stall. Their little conversations almost drowned out the little elder.

"That's just not what we do here, is all," she replied before vanishing into the crowd.


	9. The Clouds Are Gathering

It was not until the initial rush of customers was gone that I noticed Luka had vanished along with it. I never could understand that woman, but at least I could take the seat she left in the stall.

Now that the heat of the mob started dissipating, the bite of cold autumn reached me again. I tightened my shawl and shamelessly stared at the people walking by. What was I supposed to do again? Attract men with my allure?

My laugh turned into a shiver as a gust of wind sailed through the circle, causing the awnings of the lucky few who had them to flap violently. I stumbled to my counter and slammed my arms against fabric threatening to fly away.

There, I noticed people stealing glances towards a figure walking from the center of the circle. A woman with a gorgeous kimono and face emerged into sight. It took me a moment to realize it was Meiko wearing _my_ creation. How she looked right then confirmed it was my best outfit I had ever sewn.

The gold thread glinted like an emperor's robes even in the pale sky. Meiko floated about with a strange blissful smile, unlike most of the other women who were panicking endlessly that their kimonos would reveal themselves by the wind. _But, why is she by herself?_

"Meiko-san!" I yelled and waved my hand frantically. Just in case someone was still of threat to her, maybe being seen with other people would be best. She was broken out of her reverie and tilted her head towards me. Squinting her eyes for a second, she figured out who I was and hurried over.

"Mayu-san! I'm so happy to see you again! Len never wants to invite you over for tea, who knows what goes through his head." The mother clicked her tongue like she was scolding a pet.

"It is certainly a mystery," I responded, "You look so beautiful today, but maybe you should be going home soon. B-because it looks like a storm is coming, I mean."

"You look lovely today too! I only look so good because of this kimono I heard you made. Thank you so much."

I felt slightly dejected that she ignored my important comment. "You should be thanking your husband; he paid for it."

Her smile widened at the mention of her husband. "Yes, Kaito is so sweet, isn't he? By the way, Len has been in a considerably better mood since you came. I know he is not the most normal of the lot, but I would ask if you stay by his side. Don't go breaking his heart or anything."

Ignoring the insinuations, I cracked a grin of my own and replied, "How could I leave that idiot alone?"

"That's great. Keep an eye on him, please." Her expression turned melancholic all of a sudden. This conversation was starting to sound like a final goodbye.

"Don't worry about that, I will. Everything will be fine. Now, not that I do not enjoy talking to you, but I must truly suggest you be heading home now. The storm clouds are gathering."

"That is right, they are. They really are. Thank you again for the kimono, especially the bear design. It's so unique and perfect. Ah, I have to get back to the shrine and help Rin and Len clean, especially in this weather. How could I forget? I'm such a scatterbrained mother."

"You're a great mother Meiko-san. Bye, then!"

"Goodbye!" As soon as I lost sight of her, rain began to pour from the sky. Much like the time I arrived in this village.

The market was clearing quicker than the water fell. I shielded the best of our works with every limb of my body. Once I was able to maneuver the screen door to the house open, I dumped as much as I could have carried onto the floor. Luka was kneeling on the floor ahead of me, snipping away at fabric with Mother's scissors.

"One-san!" I yelled to conquer the roaring storm behind me. "Help me bring everything inside!"

Her eyes were as cloudy as the sky outside as she continued her work without notice.

"One-san! One-san! Luka!" I screamed.

Her back snapped upright. She looked up from her cloth and smiled as if nothing happened. "I see the market ended early, Ne-san. Why don't we bring in the stall now?"

Still out of breath, I stared at her for a few moments before nodding. She stood up and walked towards the exit.

"One-san, scissors," I said.

She looked down at her hand still wielding the silver blades, laughed apologetically, and put them down.

I refused to think about it too much.

The next morning, the storm was reduced to a drizzle. I was so deathly tired I was not planning on getting up at all for another three hours, but something nagged the back of mind.

It was so _quiet._

The only clock in the house was in the work room, but it must have been at least eight in the morning. By this time there would be shouting or greetings of merriment heard through the walls. What little rain was left surely did not hinder people from going to work, did it?

Reluctantly, I sat up. Throwing on something decent, I ventured out of my room. Luka was kneeling in that same position I found her in yesterday with a needle in hand.

I pointedly ignored her and slid open the door to peer outside. No one was on the street except a lone man with long purple hair.

"Gakupo-sama!" I called.

He turned and I was stricken with his eyes that had somehow lost its glint. His movements were dead and his pallor pale.

"What happened?" I asked right away.

"You do not know?" he asked monotonously.

"No, why?"

"Meiko is dead."

Immediately, I became light-headed. My heart sank into the pit of my stomach, and I felt like I needed somewhere to throw up. _Dead._ The concept seemed so foreign to me considering my parents and grandparents were very much dead. The beautiful woman who smiled at me yesterday and teased her son was gone forever. Impossible, that was completely and totally impossible. He was lying. But, no, Gakupo would never lie about Meiko and those dead eyes, as dead as her-

"Where is Len?" my voice was so choked with tears, I was surprised he understood me.

"At the shrine, where it happened."

I took off without another thought.


	10. Tore

Maybe I should have denied it more when Gakupo told me that she was dead. Why did I accept it so easily? Usually, people protested and required clarification to wrap their heads around the idea of death. It felt so familiar to me. I should have denied it more.

It would have been a waste of time anyway. Just sprinting down the abandoned streets confirmed it enough. Men and women stood with their doors cracked open, staring at me as I went past. The doors slammed closed a split second later. They were terrified, paranoid, mourning. None of that mattered, I had to get to Len.

My casual kimono still kept my legs from running quickly enough. Luka was going to kill me, but I halted and tore along the side to give me more mobility. Back to sprinting.

My heart ached like it never had before with the deaths of the parents I never truly knew or the grandparents who were only satisfied with perfection. But, I did not cry. I could only think of Len and how I just needed to see him, to be able to do anything that could ease his pain. He loved his mother. She was a great mother.

When the tori gate of Enobizaka's shrine and the Kagamine home came into view, I was taken aback by the amount of people milling about. Onlookers, mostly men and a few curious children, stood lost along the whole road. There were several men with clothing similar to Gakupo's and a hide chest plate securely tied around their shoulders. Soldiers from a close neighboring town.

When I first heard the whispers of "Murder," I stopped dead in my tracks.

Everyone seemed to be waiting. For what, I did not know. Corpses are usually brought to the shrine after passing; that step was already taken care of. I searched desperately for a head of golden hair amongst the people and ended up spotting two.

Sitting on the low stone wall next to the gate sat the boy I was looking for. He looked at the ground still and silent, clenched fists against the stone. Rin stood in front of him, wracking with dry sobs, and slowly put her hand on Len's shoulder. He immediately pushed it away. His sister said something that caused him to clench his teeth. She ran off and disappeared into the crowd who offered empty "I'm sorry"'s and hesitant comforting hands.

There was a moment of indecision. If Len did not want to be approached by his twin, what were the chances that I would be able to? I looked at him again, and my heart stirred.

 _How could I leave that idiot alone?_

I came up to him carefully. He did not glance up. Gradually, I sat down next to him. I thought of all that is wrong about this situation. _Screw it._

I wrapped my arms around his chest and laid my chin against his shoulder. I did not realize I was crying until the tears hit his _haori._ Len was startled and finally dared to look at me. I had no idea what he saw in my eyes but hopefully it was the sincerity in my sadness. His eyes teared up and soon he was crying against my shoulder. I held him and wondered who could do such a thing.

There were no suspects yet. A day had passed since her body was found, she was killed the night before, and still the soldiers had no idea who could have done it, who could have killed the ultimate woman role model of the town. The Kagamine's were more highly regarded than even the government-appointed leader of Enobizaka. They should have been the safe ones, but I supposed that did not make them any less mortal.

 _Someone was following her._ But, who?

"Ne-san, your tea is growing cold."

I was snapped back from my thoughts by my sister who kneeled across from me at our _kotatsu._

"Oh. Sorry."

Luka stared at me unblinkingly, gauging my emotions like testing the elasticity of our fabrics. How easily could my mind tear? I wished I knew.

There was a silence that I hoped would linger. My wish was not granted.

"What is wrong?" she asked.

I looked at her and wondered if she was serious or not. True, I had come home the day before without a word and locked myself in my room until that morning, but surely she should have heard. Everyone had heard.

"My friend's mother died," I replied monotonously. "She was a good woman."

"A good woman…"

"I wish I could have known her better. Maybe in another life."

"Will you be going to her funeral?"

"Of course. Everyone in town is going I think."

"I don't like going to funerals of people I did not know. I will be looking after the shop." Luka gulped down the rest of her cup of tea, stood up, and disappeared into the shrine room. She would not be out for a while.

I cleaned and put away the pots and cups and sat in the middle of the work room, looking absentmindedly at the work my sister was finishing before her inclination to invite me to tea. There was an incomplete green kimono smoothed on the ground. I noticed Mother's scissors were not there, and there were bits of gold thread spread around. She was experienced enough in our craft to know that you should never use gold to accent green. Maybe she was as out of it as the rest of the village after all.

In one of the drawers that contained my personal clothing, I found my black kimono I had worn on two past occasions. I made it myself, so it was as beautiful as my standards dictated. Usually, I would admire it, boast of it, but thinking of wearing it to the funeral made me sick. I took my own scissors and tore it in half. I got to work on a new one, a plain boring outfit that would never compare to the beauty of Meiko that day at the market.


	11. Things Break

When the initial sorrow wore down, all that was left was guilt. I did not have the slightest idea why I felt guilty, but that was the only emotion that seemed to find its way into my everyday actions. Guilt that I was alive or maybe that I could not comfort those really hurting.

Over a week and a half had trudged along since Meiko's passing. Only a few government officials roamed the streets every now and then. She was the religious leader's wife, but she was still a small town woman. Staring out across the back porch, I wondered what Len was doing.

The funeral was okay, ceremonial and traditional. Kaito did not perform there, a friend from a neighboring town came. I could not find Len in the crowd, but I did not know what I would do if I did. Enobizaka was lethargically and subtly returning to its former serenity, though it would never be said that it was one of the safest places in the country again.

"Mayu-ne?" Luka called from the workroom.

"Hm?" I answered. We had rarely spoken since she refused to go to the funeral.

"Can you get some more water from the stream, please?"

I sighed and looked back at the tree line beyond the houses in the way. What was the point of staring into nothingness any longer?

"Sure."

My legs were asleep, I realized. How long had I been sitting there, again? It didn't matter. I fetched the wooden pail by the doorway and left.

When I saw the long purple hair and pale form of Gakupo, the guilt crept back in like a beast sinking its claws into me. I could not bear to look at him any longer, so I kept walking at a brisker pace. I could feel his eyes on me before he called out.

"Hidari!" his voice cracked like it had not been used in days.

There was no point in pretending I did not hear. I made my way easily towards him, bucket clanking against my leg, until I could ask monotonously how he was doing.

"As to be expected," he replied. "I noticed that you have been holed up since…I take a walk every day through here, and…well, it's better to think about others or else you will be forced to think about yourself, and I don't really want to do that. Who knows what sort of thoughts might find their way into my head, so I am asking if you're okay."

"I-I'm well. I mean, I'm fine, really. If you want to think about others, the Kagamine's are much better suited to be comforted right now."

"Of course, I visit them every day."

"That's good. That's-"

"There is a problem, however," he interrupted. His voice had finally regained its lucidity in his franticness. "I am being sent away, government's orders, to the border. I can't request to stay any longer, so I will be leaving tomorrow."

"There must be…I suppose there can't be any exceptions. Is there anything you want me to do?"

Gakupo looked around all of a sudden, swiftly like he might be seen. How different he was since the first time I met the samurai. He was annoying and flirtatious, but I preferred him happy to this.

"They're all taking it hard, especially Miku. Len, though. I think he would like to see you, someone to talk to or something. He and Rin haven't been on the best of terms."

"Yes! I mean, I'll definitely go to see him. I just thought he needed to be left alone for a while," I said.

"Good." He smiled fleetingly but it was there. He turned around and walked off at a careful pace without another word. Everything needed to be said was said, and I would probably never see him again.

I stared blankly at the pail in my hands and remembered what I set out to do in the first place. On the way to the fresh stream and back to the square, I tried not to think too much. I understood what he meant by thinking about yourself. Self-reflection was one of the most hazardous things you could do. I was how you dug yourself a hole you could never climb your way out of.

I was meters away from my home, hauling the sloshing water, when my sandal hit the ground just the wrong way to make me fall on my face. The clear liquid spilled everywhere, including half of my kimono. I laid there for a moment, a scream knotted in my throat.

My body rigid, I pushed myself up and threw the pail with all my strength against the dirt. To my disappointment, it did not shatter or break. I stomped on it, and the wood finally gave way and broke in half. If I hadn't have broken something, I would break myself.

When I slid back into the house, Luka was still where I left her, weaving some sandals despite our drawers already filled to the brim with them. I hoped weakly that she wouldn't question me as I snuck my way towards the hallway.

"Where's the water?" she asked. "And why are you all wet?'

"I don't have the water or the bucket," I replied simply. "It broke."

"How did the _bucket_ break?"

"THINGS BREAK!"  
I stormed through the rooms until I sat right back down where I was before, staring at the tree-line and brooding over everything. Time seemed irrelevant until Luka jolted me out of my little world again.

"Your friends are here, Mayu-ne!" she called. "Welcome them, please!"

Friends? Who were my friends again? Len wouldn't come over, so it must have been Yuka. The other one with her was what made that bad suggestion into a nightmarish one.

"N-!" I stopped. I was utterly depressing myself. Gakupo knew how thinking too much could ruin someone. I sighed over-dramatically. "Okay!"

I shook out my legs again and cracked my neck before walking to the entrance. Yuka and Gumi gave favoring degrees of pitying smiles before stepping in and taking off their sandals. Gumi kept her eyes on Luka, who watched from the workroom just as intensely.

"Haven't seen you since the funeral," Yuka said. "How're you doing?"

"Fine enough," I responded. "Is there anyth-"

"We knew this was going to happen," Gumi intervened. "The tree told me."

Yuka must have seen the dark look in my eyes, so she stepped between us before I could wring her neck. "Sh-she may sound crazy about all the tree nonsense, but she is right. She told me the day before it happened that Meiko was going to die!"

"Really now?" my response had more bite than I expected. "Then maybe she's the one who did it! You can't expect me to believe that trees predicted her death; take this more seriously!"

"We _are_ serious!" Gumi shouted.

"Gumi would have never done it. L-listen, she says that someone else is in danger too!"

"Oh, like how my life is in danger, and my sister is apparently an evil witch?"

"Exactly," Gumi said gravely.

I was inches away from pouncing on her, but I took a deep breath and told them calmly, "Please, leave."

"Mayu-"

"PLEASE!"

Yuka looked hurt while Gumi looked indignant, but they both obeyed. My gut told me that was wrong. Maybe it was time to follow my common sense instead. It told me trees could never speak, and Meiko was dead no matter how long I stare out the porch doors.


	12. A Thief and a Ghost

I decided to go outside again today.

Whether I had the intent to visit the Kagamine's or not, I had no idea, but I found my feet taking me to the road that led to the shrine.

People milled about the streets, and I even heard some children laughing in the distance. It seemed like the town had already forgotten what transpired not even two weeks previous. _Two weeks._ That was how long I avoided visiting my bereaved friend. I convinced myself it was to give Len time to grieve, but deep down I knew I was just terrified to say the wrong thing.

My sandal caught on a rock, nearly causing me to tumble over. I knelt down to adjust it, and couldn't help but catch a few words from the gossiping ladies sitting in front of a home.

"Horrific thing," one commented. "He stole her kimono and hairpins and such."

"She was found _without any clothing on?_ " another gaped. "Who would degrade a woman like that? Was there any signs of…?"

"No, nothing like that! Some robber must have thought they looked nice is all."

"So she died because of a robbery, then?"

The woman relaying all the information pondered over it. "I'm not sure. I heard the, uh, _wound_ was unusual. They can't figure out what kind of weapon he used."

I finally straightened and walked off silently. They had to be talking about Meiko. Did that mean the killer stole the kimono _I_ made her? I shuddered. No, it was not my fault, it was not my fault, it was not my…

I arrived at the tori gate before I would have liked to. The wind pushed me forward like it was telling me to get it over with. I forced my legs to ascend the hill.

A ghost answered the door. That was my first impression. It took me a second to realize that Miku stood before me. Her twin tails were undone, skin pale and sickly, and eyes devoid of light. Her sky blue kimono wrapped tight around her, probably more out of habit than appearances. I tried to avoid her dead gaze.

Miku also blinked twice before recognizing me. A twitchy attempt of a smile fell short, and she merely opened the door wider to allow me inside.

"Len and Rin are in the kitchen," she said as I stepped through.

The girl vanished somewhere before I could tell her "Thank you." I remembered where the kitchen was from my first and subsequent visits. It was much larger than the one in my house, but it looked solitary when the twins sat at a low table alone.

They must not have heard my bare feet against the floor. I was hoping they did, so I would not have to get their attention on my own. Fate never truly liked me anyway.

"H-h-hello," I stuttered.

Len whipped around so suddenly, I jumped. Rin cocked her head to the side. She seemed to have taken my arrival as her cue to leave. I wished she didn't. The room felt even emptier now, and I was not sure what to do under Len's stare. I walked over and sat down where Rin was.

"…Sorry, I didn't come sooner. I…wanted to give you some space," I finally spoke.

His monotonous face softened. "That's fine, really. I was worried you cut off all ties or something…"

I cracked a smile, but it did not hide my confusion. "Why would I do that?"

"You know," he avoided my eyes, "Some people don't like the responsibility of being around the grieving. Some family friends…they turned out not to be very good friends. I-I'm happy you're here."

What he said was the most stupid thing I ever heard. Then again, I felt the same fear of responsibility for the past couple weeks. "I heard Gakupo got stationed elsewhere yesterday."

"Yeah," Len confirmed with a sigh. "Toward the border, I think. It's better this way. He took care of us long enough."

"I know this is a really idiotic and overused question, but…" I guarded myself. "How are you doing?"

"Overused? Yes, if I ever went outside. Rin did a few times, and she told me that's all anyone ever asked her."

"Sor-!"

"But, I'm doing better, thanks."

My hands couldn't seem to stop shaking. Overwhelming emotion took hold of me, and all I could think of was how _sad_ it is. Why did it have to happen to them? Why is it so _sad?_ If I could slap myself without looking like an idiot, I would have. I didn't have the right to cry in front of Len. He lost his mother.

"That's good." My voice wavered. "How's your father? I haven't seen him."

"He tries to be cheerful for us, but it isn't too convincing." All of these questions and answers made my heart squeeze. At least he was being honest. I didn't have to ask about Miku. The silence between each question grew steadily longer. I could not tell if I was just causing him more pain by talking about it, but he never told me to stop.

"Your parents both died, right?" Len asked quietly when I was struggling to come up with a conversation topic.

"Yes," I replied. "Disease, but I hardly knew them. I only cried when I realized I was not actually sad about their death. The neutrality I felt scared me." I might have said too much. Never had I told anyone that before, thinking that they would find me cruel for never properly mourning my own parents.

I expected a "That's horrible!" or "wretch," all the things I could imagine my sister saying if I told her. Instinctively, I stood up, ready to leave before thin arms wrapped around me from behind.

After the shock wore off, I mumbled. "I'm the one who should be comforting you, idiot." I supposed this was comforting for him too, so I didn't pull away until the haggard figure of Miku appeared in the doorway.

"We have to go somewhere now, Len. Please ask Mayu-chan to leave." The way she said it did not convince me they actually had plans for going anywhere, but the heat in my face distracted me.

"Of course!" I squeaked. "Thank you very much for having me." I bowed shakily to Miku, now the lady of the house, and then Len, looking anywhere but his face.

"Wait, Mayu," he called as I was already half out the door. "Remember when I said I was going to show you something a while ago?"

"I think I recall that."

"Come by the day after tomorrow, then."

"Okay! Bye, then!"

He waved from the porch before being pulled in by one of his sisters. My mind was able to wander away from death for more than thirty seconds. I hoped Len was able too. That at least was a start.

When I arrived back at the house, Luka was working like always. There were bags under eyes that I hadn't noticed before. She still handled Mother's scissors with graceful accuracy.

"Were you visiting that boy?" Luka asked without looking up.

"By 'that boy,' I assume you mean my friend, Len, then yes," I answered with a little more hostility than intended.

"Do you plan on marrying him?"

I sputtered, "N-n-no! Where did that come from?"

"I would suggest you stop seeing him, then. It is bad for a maiden to be seen in such compromising positions with a man who is not her fiancé."

"Compromising positions?"

"Like when you two were in front of the shrine a few weeks back."

"His mother had just been murdered! I doubt anyone would judge me for comforting him!"

"I cannot tell you what to do, my little sister. It is merely a suggestion."

"And I will politely decline following it."

I grabbed some sewing supplies and stormed to my room to work. Like she knew anything about relationships, I thought. Her husband had probably left her, considering he had still not returned.


	13. Woman

They still hadn't found the murderer yet. I heard rumors that it was someone passing through town. He must have robbed her, then continued on his merry way. That theory satisfied the village for the most part, but it didn't feel right to me. Maybe I was paranoid, but I did not need Luka telling me so at five in the morning.

"I would rather be paranoid than dead," I shot back. "What if the killer is still in the town?"

"He's not, he's not." Luka waved the notion off with a flick of her wrist. "The authorities have it under control."

"…Hey, One-chan?" I asked quietly. We sat at our kotatsu for breakfast, and there was something I was debating on asking my sister for a while.

"Hm?"

"Your marriage wasn't arranged, right? Because Mother and Father were dead by then."

I noticed the wave of sadness that painted her face at the mention of our parents, but she answered easily enough. "No, it wasn't."

"So, you do love him?"

"Of course I love my husband!" Luka cried indignantly. "I am not one of those sad women who hate their spouses and gossip about him to all of the other married women in town."

"I know that much! I was just wondering since he hasn't come back yet, if your marriage was not that good."

"My marriage is fine, thank you!"

What is this really all about, anyway?"

"…How did you know that you loved him?"

"I just knew," she said simply. "You just know if you found the right person."

"Hm."

"Is this about the shrine priest's son by any chance?"

After a great deal of sputtering and denial, I stomped away to work. Luka yelled from the kitchen that Yuka came by yesterday while I was out and asked if I could come by soon. "Urgent news," she quoted. My hands sewed as fast as they could to reach the quota for the day. I had been meaning to apologize to Yuka and Gumi since my outburst over Meiko's death. If I was productive enough, I should have been able to arrive at her home by nightfall.

My sister reminded me to be cautious before I shot through the threshold of our house and into the chilling street. It turned out that I might have to stay over at Yuka's place. I didn't have the guts to walk these roads alone at night. Not when the murderer could still be lurking about.

Yuka was not the one to answer the door.

I nearly fell over from surprise when a pink-haired man greeted me. Why was a fairly attractive boy around my age be at Yuka's house? Were her parents home?

"I said that I'll get it!" came the irritated voice of my friend in question. At least there was no Gumi.

I raised my eyebrows as Yuka rounded the corner and noticed who was at the door. For once she was the one making incoherent excuses and denials instead of me. Satisfying? Yes, it most certainly was.

Before explaining anything, she pushed me into a seat and began making tea. I was forced to sit across from the man I had never seen before, and it was quite entertaining to watch him avoid eye contact as I sized him up. Pink hair, much like Luka's, might have given him a feminine look if it wasn't for his tall and jagged features. He seemed to be normally confident, but it was undermined by this awkward scene.

Yuka returned calm as ever and situated herself next me at the table. Tea started being poured.

"Firstly, Yuka-chan," I said, "I wanted to apologize for how I acted when you and Gumi came over the other day. I was in shock to say the least."

"No problem!" she waved it off cheerily.

The pink-haired man thanked Yuka when she finished pouring his drink, and I was ready to burst into my questions.

"Okay, I have to ask, who is this guy?"

"This is Yuma-kun, of course. He actually is the reason I wanted you to come. It was very good timing when you showed up," she answered.

Yuma gave a short wave and reintroduced himself. "I work for the Yuzukis', finding silkworms in the forest for the _tan_."

That explained his shabby attire.

"What is this urgent news about, then? And what does it have to do with him?"

"Go ahead, Yuma-kun!" Yuka commanded.

I didn't appreciate the sigh before he began. "I live on the outskirts of the woods, but that night—the night that shrine priest's wife died—I was in town to buy some food. I ended up staying there pretty late, and when I was on my way back through town, I passed by the tori gate. It was dark, so I don't know if they saw me, but there was someone running through the gate and down the road and away. Black stuff had dripped from them when they ran by, so I bent down to see what it was. It was hard to tell, but it was a liquid. It wasn't 'til I got home that I could see in the firelight that it was blood."

"So, you are saying you think you saw the killer?" My heart beat with excitement, but it was too soon to believe everything he was saying. Yuka trusted him, but she did not have a good track record of reliable friends.

"I am sure I saw her! She was thin with a nice body shape, tall for a woman," Yuma described.

"You saw a _woman?_ Are you positive? A woman killed Meiko so brutally?"

"I could bet my life on it."

"Good, because if you are mistaken, then you would lose that bet."

He grit his teeth with annoyance. Maybe threatening him, no matter how serious I intended it to be, was a bad idea…

"Okay, no fighting!" Yuka intervened. "Mayu-chan! This is good information, right?"

"Yes, but what do you want me to do with it? Have you told the authorities?"

"We tried," Yuma answered, "But they didn't believe me at all."

"I wonder why," I mumbled under my breath. With those rags he was wearing and the dirt covering his skin, he looked like an escaped convict. "Once again, what do you expect me to do with this information?"

"We're going to find the murderer, of course!" she proclaimed like it was obvious. "You do not seriously believe that a robber passing through killed Meiko, do you?"

"…Not for a second."

" _And,_ you told Len that you would find whoever was stalking her. Logically, whoever was stalking her also killed her. Therefore, to keep your promise, you have to figure out who did it!"

"That does make sense," inputted Yuma.

The authorities wouldn't be of any help. Someone in Enobizaka must have murdered Len's mother, and they will still live out their peaceful lives without a care in the world! Thinking that made my blood boil, and there was nothing I would rather do than-

"Fine, then," I said, "Let's find her."


	14. Green Sash

Not much changed by the next morning. Meiko's killer still walked free, and Luka's husband was still not home. I didn't tell my sister where I was going. She had never met the Kagamine's, but for some reason, I sensed the vibe that she did not like me being around them this much.

The route to the Enobizaka shrine was so natural I didn't have to think about which turns to take or what buildings to pass anymore. The trek up the hill to their house, however, never became easier. Which overly attractive person would greet me today? I hoped the door was not answered by Miku, but just in case, I had a plan.

It was a bit unanticipated after all of my mental preparation when the twin-tailed girl was not the one whose face appeared in the threshold. Rin's meager smile and that all-knowing expression of hers was a warm welcome compared to last time. Not that I could blame Miku, I could never do that. I had to get a hold of myself right now, or my rage will boil over.

Rage. That must have been the burning feeling I experienced whenever I saw the effects of what that murderer did to this family…

"Mayu-chan! Len told me you would be coming." Her lively tone lacked only a little since our last real conversation the day of the market.

As she led me to a section of the home I had never been in before, I asked how everyone was doing. Rin told me they were much better, and continued our friendly banter with ease. Just as I was thinking that her chatter was slightly _too_ pleasant, we arrived at our destination—albeit I had no idea what it actually was.

"Len's in here!" sang Rin. She slid open the door for me.

I only glimpsed the room before a palm slammed against my back. Stumbling forward, I caught myself before falling flat on my face. The door behind me banged closed, and a lock clicked.

"EH?!" I punched the door and called out. For a moment, I thought maybe I was trapped, Rin was the murderess, and my life was about to end any second. However, what really happened might have been worse. My incessant pounding against the door stopped when a familiar voice sounded behind me.

"Rin, is that you?"

My head whipped around faster than a heartbeat. I was in a bedroom. Whose bedroom? Len emerged from the large closet wearing a loose _haori_ that revealed a lot more of his chest than would be seen in public. Okay, it was Len's bedroom.

I screamed. Then, he screamed. I screamed again, turned around sharply, and squatted down in shame.

"I-I swear this is not what it looks like!" I sobbed into my hands. "The door is locked, Rin tricked me! I'm not a pervert!"

"U-um." I could hear him tightening his clothing. "Let me check the door." His voice was so high I wouldn't have been able to tell him and Rin apart.

I scampered away from the door like a wounded animal. My face could have heated the whole town through the winter. I listened fuzzily to him testing the door and punching it a couple of times.

"Rin-ne!" he called in pleading voice.

At last, a key turned in the lock and it slid open. "Whatever is the matter, brother? Aw, your blushing like craz-"

"Why did you do this?" he asked seeth

ingly.

"Oh, and look what you've done. Mayu-chan is scarred for life."

"I think you are the one to blame for that. Please, apologize to Mayu…san."

"Well, you were going to show her your writings, right? And, I know they are stashed away in this room somewhere, so naturally, I brought her here."

"Without telling me what room it was and locking the door," I whimpered. Taking a deep breath, I finally stood up and faced them. "It's fine, Len-kun, Rin-chan. Just a little sibling prank. A very effective sibling prank."

"Thank you, Mayu-chan! I'll leave you guys to it, then, bye!" Before either of us objected, she slammed the door shut. At least there was no sound of the lock this time.

Before the atmosphere could grow ever more awkward, I said, "So, this is about your stories? I thought you would never show me them." _According to what you said in response to your mother's teasing._

"Y-yeah, but I supposed that someone should read it to make criticisms or something," Len trailed off. He was avoiding eye contact and wringing his hands. "And, you said you like to read, and not many people in this town _can_ read anyways, so-"

"I get it!" I interrupted before he could continue to stumble on his own words. " _Little Len_ wants to know if he's any good. Present away!"

He muttered something about not being that short and entered into his closet. When he came back out (fully dressed) a polished box was cradled in his arms. Rin was right about it being stashed away in here.

I sank to the ground and tried to sit as dignified as possible against the cold wood. Len did the same. My hand extended outward, waiting for the papers. Now, he seemed reluctant to release the iron hold on his precious box.

"Kagamine Len," I said, "Did you invite a lady to your house just so she could be locked in your bedroom with her and not actually be given your one-of-a-kind story that she has been curious about for ages? That's not a very gentleman-like thing to do."

He mishandled the latches box in his haste to dispel my claim. When he finally managed to get it open, the stack of parchment nearly exploded out. It was brimming with the material, eloquently written kanji words popping out from the top of the pile. It was a title: _"Aku no Musume."_

"Hm? 'Daughter of Evil.' Looks interesting," I told him sincerely. "I haven't read anything since I arrived in Enobizaka. I'm very excited." Len gave a sheepish smile before I snatched the papers and began reading.

There once was a prideful girl who became empress at the age of fourteen. She ruled the mightiest clan in the nation, and all other clans feared her and her power. She adored drinking tea and never missed drinking it every day. At one point, the empress fell in love and sent for a marriage proposal immediately.

The man was very handsome and lived in another clan as a _ronin_. Unfortunately, he was in love with someone else. When the empress received word that her proposal was rejected, she became infuriated. She did not know the identity of the girl he chose over her, but there was a rumor that she had beautiful green hair. That could only mean she lived in the Green Clan.

To destroy anyone in her way, she commanded that every girl in the Green Clan be killed. Her warriors and samurai slaughtered them all, including the beauty that the empress's beloved held dear. The man witnessed the murders and knew why the empress ordered such a thing.

He allied with a woman of fiery red who lost her husband because of the empress. Together, they mustered their own forces and invaded the empress's clan. Soon after, the capital city burnt to the ground, and the empress herself was imprisoned for execution.

She was given a short blade, a _tanto,_ and was brought before a large audience. With the blade, she was forced to perform _seppuku._ Though the act of the disembowelment was reserved for samurai, the new emperor and empress thought was a fitting end for the girl filled with pride. As she dug the blade into her stomach, and sliced through, her last words were:

"Oh, it's tea time!"

"There is a second part!" Len said as my eyes lifted from the page. "It gets better, I promise!"

"I'm looking forward to the sequel, then! This is really good!"

"Eh? Seriously? Really?"

I laughed. "Yes! At first, I thought I had heard this story before, but I must have been crazy. How could there be more if the empress died, though?"

"W-well, it's about another character and what he does while all of that is happening."

"Oooo, I can't wait. Let's see the next-!"

The screen door slid open, and Rin poked her head in. "One-chan says that Mayu-chan has spent a long time here, and we have to go someplace. Sorry Mayu-chan, but I think you have to leave now."

I sighed. What happened next in the story? It felt so strange reading it. The words felt familiar somehow. Len sighed too, stood, and offered his hand to help me up.

"That's more like a gentleman," I commented before accepting it. My legs had fallen asleep, and I precariously made my way toward the exit. "Thank you, Len-kun. I thoroughly enjoyed that story and expect the second part next time. Oh, and Rin-chan!" I remembered the small bag around my shoulder. "Can you give this to Miku? I had some extra green cloth, and I just thought she might like this."

I handed Rin a simply but elegantly sewn _obi._ She admired the green sash for a moment before exclaiming how unfair it was that it was for Miku and not her. Len watched with a small smile from across the room. After final goodbyes, I immersed myself in fresh air and began my trek back. Luka would not be happy if she found out where I spent my day. I guessed I would just not tell her then.


	15. Clink

My scissors _clink_ ed as I tossed them onto the table and hurriedly prepared to leave the house. Luka didn't ask any questions as to where I was going or why I was in such a rush. There was an unspoken tension that formed between us after Meiko's death one month ago. It was now bitter enough that I required a shawl to head out. Still no words passed between my sister and me. I waited a second just in case she would look up from her work for a second and say anything.

The icy atmosphere from the house changed into the icy atmosphere of outside. I shivered from the sudden gust of cold that carved into my bones the moment my skin met the air. Hopefully, Yuka would be at the meeting point before I arrived. The blustery wind bothered every other villager on the streets. Men struggled with their carts, and women chased after renegade shawls. Enobizaka was tinted with gloom.

There were two short figures standing idly as I approached the corner in which the clinic sat. Yuka was as expected, but my shoulders slumped when I saw the other less welcomed member of the team.

"I see you brought the crazy one!" I yelled over the wind.

"Gumi can be trusted!" Yuka replied back.

The woman merely stared hostilely for a moment, then pretended like I didn't exist. At least she didn't start preaching about trees. Despite my resentment toward Gumi, I wouldn't allow the enmity between us disrupt our investigation. I would not hesitate, however, to knock her head back into place if she did anything to delay the discovery of Meiko's murderer.

"Okay!" Yuka began exuberantly. "There are a total of three inns in Enobizaka. There were even a few more a while ago, but that was when the village was a trade destination. Even three are struggling to stay in business now. On the bright side, this means that innkeepers will remember who came in since barely anyone travels through here."

"Sounds good to me." I took the lead to the first inn on the agenda. It was right across the street from the clinic and looked as Yuka said, deserted. The condition of the wooden building lacked compared to the more thriving businesses beside it. Despite the dilapidation of everything from the walls to the faded paintings on the wall, it still felt like heaven not being in the bleak weather.

"I'm assuming you aren't here for inn service, because no one ever comes to this hellhole."

All three of us jumped. We were too busy basking in the glory of the furnace to notice the stout woman in the corner fiddling with a puzzle box in her chubby hands. She wore thin clothing and a frown of utter defeat. The room held little else but a table with a few pieces of papyrus and the rickety chair the woman currently sat on.

It took a moment to collect our bearings. I took it upon myself to do the talking. This operation concerned me more than Yuka or Gumi after all. "Did anyone stay here about a month ago? A woman, perhaps?"

She leaned in and squinted at us skeptically. "We here haven't had a single customer for two months now. Now, get on out of here."

"A-are you certain?"

"Yes, I'm 'certain.' Are you three death as well as stupid in the head? No one in their right mind would want to stay in this place. Hell, I don't know why _I_ stay in this place. My husband spends all day gods know where and expects _me_ to keep the inn all clean and kept? Maybe if he brought in some mon-"

Oh, she kept going. It was a while actually until we escaped from her arduous rant. The next place better not be this weird.

We inched toward the center of town, where the remaining destinations were. If either of those innkeepers can testify that a woman stayed there a month ago, and left after the murder, then it would support the government's theory of the killer being a passerby. If neither of them can do that, then it is almost an absolute that she is a resident of Enobizaka and still lives among us today.

The sliding door of the second inn _clink_ ed when it opened. This time, a wheezy laugh welcomed us into the well-maintained building. An old man watched us sigh with relief as we took in the warmth of the room and laughed again.

"Now why would three lovely young ladies visit my inn?" he asked cordially. "And you there in the middle, aren't you that gifted tailor from just down the way, hm?"

"Yes, actually I am," I replied in the same manner.

After asking the same question I asked the other lady, he thought deeply for a long time. Part of me thought he fell asleep or something, but he said all of a sudden, "No, no women. There was a samurai a month ago, and after that there were more of them to investigate the Kagamine's murder…"

No woman. Just Gakupo. Yuka and I sighed, and Gumi remained as emotionless as she had been this whole trip. Why was she even here? I thanks the man deeply before we met with the fierce wind again. The journey to the third and final inn was not too far away this time. It was actually a few buildings down from my own house. Not sure what I wanted to discover, we stepped into the nicest of all the inns.

The thin pale tall woman brushes the floorboards with a broom was the opposite of the first lady we saw. She didn't bother looking up from her work. All she said was "The rent is five coins a night and six if there are any children. I expect the pay to be on time, every morning, or you are being evicted immediately. It costs extra if you want any information about the town-"

"We aren't here to stay at your inn," Yuka interrupted for me. "We need to know if any woman stayed here about a month ago."

Now, the young woman stood up straighter and faced us with her chin high. "Eh? And why should I tell you?"

"It's really just a yes-or-no question," I responded.

"Nothing is 'just' anything…I suppose I can tell you if he hand over a few coins, though."

We looked at each other hesitantly. Yuka didn't have any money on hand, and I doubted Gumi had any money period. I rolled my eyes and dug a few stray coins out of my bag and tossed them one by one to the woman.

Once they _clink_ ed into her greedy palm, she smiled innocently smiled and said, "There was a woman staying here about a month ago, yes."

"Who was she?!" Yuka and I yelled at the same time. This could be it. We could get a name, and maybe where she was going. We could catch her, bring her back to Enobizaka, go to the nearest samurai and turn her in!

"Calm down, calm down," she mumbled. "It was one of those _yuujo,_ if you know what I'm talking about. She tried to bring in some male clientele a few times, but this is not that kind of establishment. I had to kick her out after she didn't pay rent two days before the full moon."

My heart sank. Meiko was killed a day _after_ the full moon. This _yuujo_ wasn't the killer. There was no woman just passing through the night of the murder.

"Thank you for your time," I said numbly to the frugal innkeeper. Once outside, I turned to Yuka and Gumi. "Meiko was killed by someone _here._ "


	16. Quiet

Sometimes I remembered how pampered I was. One of those times was right now, as I hauled myself through the forest, hating my life and every stupid little branch that scratches what little skin I have showing and a perfectly well-tailored kimono! Not to mention how freaking freezing it was out in the elements!

City life still reflected in my pale, thin skin and tendencies to complain about some of the most daily occurrences in the sleepy town of Enobizaka. However, I would have to suck it up. It was not like I could disappoint my dear friend.

Miku straight up didn't like me. I couldn't blame her; her mother had just died almost a month ago. So, I was not allowed in their house anymore. I had yet to see Kaito in all this time. When it came to meeting up with Len, we had to get creative. Such as rendezvousing in the wood behind the shrine. I was afraid to be happened upon in public by Luka, who continuously became more and more upset with the fact I was associating with the Kagamine's. Then, there was the whole ordeal of trying to find Meiko's killer. We needed a new lead before the trail went cold…

I changed my mind about the forest. It was actually quite peaceful. Swaying leaves and the occasional noise of a bird flapping its wings or some land creature scurrying about. Away from the sisters and murderers and people in general.

I pushed through the last cluster of foliage and into a grassy clearing. It was empty, save for the short boy sitting in the center, ruffling through parchment, fidgeting, and attempting to keep his breathing levels normal. He didn't notice me, even when I was a meter away.

"What's in store for the woman in red and man in blue today?" I asked loudly.

Len jumped violently and turned around out. I shot a smile and he nervously reciprocated I found it adorable. I walked over and knelt in front of him, hand extended expectantly for the next installment of my new favorite story.

"What makes you think it's about the woman in red and the man in blue?" he replied cheekily and was only a little hesitant this time to hand it over. I sent him an excited look and eagerly read to know what happened next.

It started with describing the setting of the first part once again. It was the same place, but it was slightly different. It was from someone else's perspective.

There once were twins who were separated. When the reunited, one was the empress and the other, her servant. The servant boy was so loyal to his empress, he would do anything for her. One day, he was travelling in the Green Clan and fell in love with a beautiful green-haired girl.

Soon after he arrived back from his trip, the empress was furious about the man she loved refusing her marriage proposal and commanded that all the women in the Green Clan be executed. Even after all the killing, word was sent to her that the specific girl she was after still lived by hiding in a well in the village.

The servant was sent to finish the job. When he arrived at the well, he saw that the girl hiding in it was actually the one he himself fell in love with. However, the empress gave him his orders, and his loyalty knew no bounds, and he killed her.

It was not long until an uprising ravaged the empire, led by a _ronin_ in blue and a fiery woman warrior. Their army was closing in on the palace, and all the servants abandoned their prideful empress. All, except for one.

The empress had one last sacrifice to request from her brother. Adorn her clothing and put down his hair, and he should look identical to her. As the empress fled the palace, the servant did as he was told and was captured by the rebel army.

He was imprisoned and led to the _tanto_ blade. Before plunging it into his himself, he exclaimed the phrase what his sister loved to say:

 _"Oh, it's tea time!"_

An overwhelming sadness welled up within me. I quickly composed myself, but it was shocking how attached I had become to that servant character so quickly. Once again, the story felt familiar.

"That…" I began, still in awe of what I just read. "That was amazing."

Even in the dimming sunlight, I could still see his reddening face. That only made my smile grow wider.

"Is there any more?" I asked.

"I'm almost done with the next part," he replied bashfully. This boy really needed more confidence and generally good things in his life. Soon, he'll be a lot happier. The team would find his mother's murderer, and she'll be avenged…

I sighed and flopped on my back to stare at the sky. It was that rare time when the sun still hadn't set yet but the stars had already come out, making the orange sky all the more beautiful. It would be even prettier if Meiko's killer didn't still thrive under it. I'll definitely keep my promise to Len. I'll find her and then…and then…what?

It took me a second to realize Len had laid down next to me. Not intimately close or anything, just…there. We didn't say much. I stole a glance to the side, and he had this depth to his eyes that could only mean we were thinking about the same woman.

I yawned. It was so serene out here in the forest. I was told that Enobizaka was immensely peaceful. Really, it was nature that was peaceful and Enobizaka just happened to be in the middle of it. I didn't want to go back to the house where Luka was. I would have rather stayed in a clearing in the woods with my friend by my side and watch the sky for the rest of eternity.

I dosed off before I could even register it.

I woke up to the sound of a scream.

It was so abrupt and unexpected, when I shot off my back it was already over. Must have been my dream. My dreams were never too pleasant. I shook my head at myself. The scream must have been just part of my nightmare seeping into reality for a second.

Then I realized I was still in the forest, right where I was the night before. Looking over, there was Len blinking sleep out of his eyes.

"Eh?" he mumbled and sat up. He took one look at my widened eyes and scooted back a few inches. "I-I, it's, youfellasleepandIcouldn'tleaveyououtherealoneandIdidn'twanttowakeyouupsoIwaskeepingwatchbutthenIfellasleep-!"

"Calm!" I stopped him. "I get it, I get it. I shouldn't have fallen asleep in the first place, sorry." In all honesty, I was mortified. Where would Luka think I was all night?

He scratched the back of his head, and I noticed how disheveled he looked. Oh no, kami knew what my hair looked like. I stretched my back and heard a loud crick snap out. What time was it? The sun was a little ways up in the sky. Luka. Work.

"Ah! I got to go back to the shop!" I exclaimed suddenly, picking myself off the hard ground and adjusting my sandals.

"A-ah, okay. Thanks for coming," he said as I began to stalk off.

"My pleasure! As long as you didn't do creepy things to me while I slept!" I winked and sprinted away before too many of his denials could reach my ears. Avoiding the shrine, I crept back into town stealthily.

For so late in the morning, Enobizaka sure was quiet.

Quiet.

Just like when.


	17. Cold

It was hard to describe the numbness of my legs as I ran. The buzzing in my ears, like a greater silence that drowned out the already silent, still streets. The one word that reverberated in my head over and over: Dead. Because that was the only word that made sense. Dead was the feeling in my gut. Dead was not a hunch, it was a certainty, like I had known it and lived through it for a long time.

I wrenched open the door of my house and burst in like a madwoman. My already dissipated state from sleeping out in the woods magnified by whatever distraught expression could have possibly been on my face. Luka was there. She was always there, sewing, sewing, sewing. She looked up at me with a calm that I once admired but in the moment, detested.

"What happened?" I heaved. When did my breathing become this ragged?

"Where were you all night?" was my sister's serene response.

"What happened?" I repeated, glancing around the room like it would give me a clue to why terror gripped me.

"Nothing that I'm aware of."

"Something must have happened!" I was shouting now.

"I don't know."

"YOU NEVER KNOW!" It sounded like an accusation. Maybe it was.

I stormed out into the chilly air once again. Still no footsteps on the cobbled roads. Still no sound of shopkeepers opening up for the day. Nothing, until a small boy flitted across the street perpendicular to mine. I followed.

We ran past home after home until we were on the outskirts of town. That was where a crowd had accumulated, forming a circle around something like they did around Gumi when she was talking crazy.

Yuka and Gumi herself were there, one whose eyes were sad and the other whose eyes were concentrating. I did not approach them, only shoved my way through random people in the audience until my sandals broke into negative space.

Red. Red on blue and green. Red on pale white skin. Red on cracked gray dirt. Red on Miku's twisted form, unmoving and surreal. Her kimono was missing its sash and her eyes missing its glow. Her eyes glowed before, back when Meiko was still alive, but now they can never regain their luster.

Rin was there by her side. Breathing but shaking uncontrollably. No tears. Just shock. There was no Kaito. Three men in perfectly situated haoris stood around the pair of them, observing or deducing or doing whatever it was they did. It didn't matter what they did. It didn't work last time.

"Let me pass, please," came the strained voice of Len over the soft chattering of the crowd.

I spotted his golden hair weaving through the people and getting closer. I launched myself back into the onlookers and grabbed his arm before he can reach the body.

"Len, you don't want to look," I said.

"W-why?" his voice was filled with so much despair. He already knew. Like me, he could feel it.

"It's…It's your older sister."

As soon as I said it, he ripped his arm away and forced his way into the circle. I blotted out his scream. No tears, like Rin. When your life is snatched away from you twice, the sadness is beyond crying.

Something freezing took over my body. A woman did this. A woman brought Len to his knees and destroyed another piece of his happiness. This person was here. Maybe even less than two feet away from me. I scanned the faces of the crowd. Everyone I knew from Enobizaka was present. Even Luka showed up, staring unblinkingly at the siblings like everyone else. My fingers twitched. If the whole town was here, that meant the murderer was also here in plain sight. So close I could strangle her where she stood.

The cold in my body spread, hardening my heart. Body tense, I knelt down next to Len and muttered, "We'll find her. We'll find the woman who did this, and she will die a thousand deaths for what she has done."

He looked at me with empty eyes. Then something sparked in those eyes. Desperation was replaced with fury, and I nodded. Still shaking, he nodded back. My fate was sealed. I would stop at nothing until whoever it was who did this bled out on the dirt. There will be red everywhere but her eyes, so she can look at my smiling face as she perishes.

The wounds on Miku matched those on Meiko. The authorities confirmed it was the same killer. I didn't need their confirmation to know that. Like Meiko's missing clothing, some of Miku's were gone too, namely her obi. When the first Kagamine died, the town was filled with sadness. This time around, fear flooded every person left standing. Trust grew more and more precarious. No more leaving your doors unlocked, only close friends visited each other. Kaito wandered about the village like a ghost. There was no funeral.

The only unperturbed individuals in a five-mile radius were the investigators. They conceded that they were wrong about the culprit being a bandit. Enobizaka was in quarantine. No one enters. No one leaves. If you do decide to ditch town, it will be assumed you are the perpetrator. While these men took their sweet time looking for clues, we were all trapped in a cage, waiting for the next body to fall. They found solace only in knowing it will probably be another Kagamine and not themselves.

I snuck out of the house regularly for the next week, visiting Len whenever I could. Yuka and Gumi agreed that he would be a help to our own investigation regarding motive and specific movements of the victims before their deaths. I told them to not speak in such technical terms around him. This was his family.

In turn, I informed Len of everything we had gathered in the past weeks. It was not much, only that the killer was a tall female and she did indeed live in this village. He did not talk much about Miku, and I tried not to coax anything out of him. It was Gumi and Yuka who would be doing that in no time.

The only question was: where are we going to find any leads?


	18. A New Lead

As the first snow flurry of the year floated gently down into the desolate streets of thee village, I pressed my back against the wooden wall in hopes of disappearing completely. Ten days into quarantine and eleven since the Enobizaka Killer took her second victim. The only people who voluntarily ventured outside these days were me, Yuka, Len, Gumi, and the three investigators sent to solve the cases, two of which I was tailing right now.

They were taking a stroll on the outskirts of town, having left their inn right when the sun breached the horizon. Thankfully, I was there an hour earlier and wasted no time slipping into the shadows and observing their movements and conversation. In the city, these kind of people were everywhere. They wore their authority on their sleeve and took advantage of anything and anyone just because they could. Some of them at least. I held onto the hope that the ones here in Enobizaka were of the nobler kind.

"At least the women here are beautiful," the taller one commented. Both of them were huge, but this guy had half an inch on the other one. They had been talking about all sorts of useless things for twenty minutes, and I really was not in the mood for sexualizing women.

"That's true, but you're a few months late. I heard the two victims were gorgeous beyond belief," the slightly shorter man replied.

"Not anymore, they're not."

They both laughed hysterically, and I resisted the urge to punch both of their faces. "You know, I still can't believe anyone would want to murder such pretty ladies like them. Still haven't figured out a motive?"

He sighed. "No. They didn't piss anyone in particular off. This killer is pretty brutal, murdering a mother then her daughter."

"And with what? Once we figure out what made those wounds, we should catch him easily."

"Something small but thick with a strangely curved handle..."

"Okay, team. What did we find?"

Congregated around Yuka's little kotatsu, we-Gumi, Yuka, Len, and myself-shook off the cold and focused on our meager findings for today. Solving a double-murder was harder than first anticipated.

"The investigator's practically had nothing," I said. "They just made woman jokes the whole time. However, they did mention the strange weapon used. 'Small but thick with a strangely curved handle.'"

"Okay, good. Here I have..." Yuka fished a scroll out of a chest of drawers next to her. "A completed list of every girl above the age of twelve in the village. We can begin crossing off names once we gather more information. Len, anything to report?"

He took an unstable breath before beginning. "Yes, my sister said that she heard Miku-ne get up several hours before the sun rose. She asked her where she was going and Miku-ne said she was going to find flowers for our mother's grave. That was...the last we heard from her."

I placed a hand on Len's shoulder to tell him he could stop now. He nodded and persistently hung his head to keep his gaze away from anyone else.

"Gumi? Your observations? Len, you may want to leave the room for this part."

"No, I'm fine! I should stay for the whole discussion. Anything to help."

"Suit yourself. Gumi," Yuka cued the green-haired girl next to her.

"I was able to look at what remains of the body and the possessions left behind," she began monotonously. "They are keeping it in the woods about a mile away from Yuma's house. It would seem that the only thing stolen from her outfit was her obi. The wound was too degenerated from time for me to take a good look, but it was caused by something about the size of a dagger. There were no other abrasions as far as I could tell. The items she had with her at the time were laid out next to the corpse. There was only a piece of parchment whose ink was completely blurred because of water damage. Also, some pink sakura petals that must have been caught in her hair and clothes."

"Not much to work with then," Yuka commented. For myself, I wasn't so sure. Something about those possessions...

The front sliding door pushed open behind Gumi and Yuka. Yuma strolled in with two buckets of loose string over his shoulders. It must have been today's quota for material for the tan.

"Oh, secret meeting?" he asked teasingly. "Hey Yuka, Gumi, Mayu."

Yuka nodded her head in recognition, Gumi remained silent, and I gave a little wave. Len sat up a little straighter.

"Who's this?" he questioned stiffly.

"Yuma," I answered. "He helped out with the investigation a while ago. He provided us with the information that led us to the conclusion of the culprit being a tall woman."

"Ah, I see."

I dropped to a whisper. "He also has a thing for Yuka."

"Really?" It was more of an exclamation of relief than a question.

"Okay, move along, now, Yuma!" Yuka commanded. "Put the material in the kitchen. I trust it's all there, right?"

"Do I ever fail you?" Yuma responded.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Many times."

Acting like he didn't hear that last part, he casually stepped into the kitchen and back out. After a few seconds of Yuka's "get out" face, he got the message. With a deep mock bow, he exited, a couple moments of silence following.

"I suppose that's it for today-"

"Wait! Wait..." I halted her. "You said sakura petals, right? Sakura trees have been out of bloom for about a month. Why would petals be in her kimono?"

"I guess you're right. That's kind of weird..." Yuka said.

"But there that really old sakura tree in the town square that has a few petals left on it," Gumi inputted.

"That's the only one around here, though. There isn't any even in the forest."

"Well, Miku must have went through the town square then."

I pursed my lips. "You have a map of Enobizaka, right?"

The parchment rustled as Yuka spread it out on the kotatsu. I pointed the spot where Miku was discovered. "If she wanted to pick flowers for Meiko's grave like she said, then she would go to the forest. It would still make sense if she walked along the edge of town where she was found, but why would she go to the town square?"

They all took a second to think about it. Yuka spoke up first. "Hidari Mayu, did you just find us a lead?"

Half shocked that what I said made sense, I smiled wide and nodded. Looking over at Len, I gave him a wink. Don't worry, we got this. It's only a matter of time.


	19. Yellow Hairpin

The warm lantern light flickered as I maneuvered it around the paper-ridden floor, trying to keep the darkness from creeping in. Several hours had passed since night fell, and half of our little justice squad laid sprawled on the ground and fast asleep. About a day and a three-quarters have passed since I brought up the new lead, almost all of our time dedicated to pursuing them since then. It mainly consisted of the tedious work of figuring out who lived in what house and how we could cross their names off the list with this new information. Len laid on his stomach beside me, examining the map and index of Enobizaka women like a miraculous idea would come to him if he looked hard enough.

"Maybe we should call it a night," I suggested, covering my mouth with my hand as a yawn crept its way into my throat. I flopped over to my back and stared at the supported roof of Len's bedroom. Being there was a whole lot less awkward than last time, mostly because other people were with us.

Len looked over at the passed out Yuka and Gumi, then back at the papers hesitantly. "Can we at least review what we found out today? Just so we can remember it."

"Deal. Okay let's see…" I twisted back onto my stomach and rubbed my eyes, urging them to stay open for just a little while longer. "We have crossed off a total of ninety-two names off the list. There are still seventy-seven more names to go. We were able to eliminate this many possibilities because we had the revelation that Miku knew who the killer was and was going out to confront them. This makes it all the more imperative to figure out what that piece of parchment she had on her said. I'll be trying to approach the investigators and ask once I see them again."

"Maybe I should be the one who asks about that," he said.

"Eh? Why?"

"Well…you mentioned all they did was make sexual jokes, so I think it would be safer if I approached them instead."

"Aw, don't worry about me! When you live in the city, you learn how to break any man who gets a bit too frisky."

"N-noted!" he squeaked.

"What's this about breaking Len?" a voice came from the doorway. Rin leaned against the threshold and gave a teasing smile. In the dim light, it almost didn't look empty.

"No one's breaking anyone!" Len defended.

"Sure. I see you have stocked up quite a large harem since I last checked." Rin nodded toward Yuka and Gumi.

"Not my harem! I don't have any harem! Actually, they all were just leaving…if you don't mind, Mayu."

"Of course, it's getting late," I said.

"I should have known better," Rin commented. "You don't need a harem. You already have your love interest."

The way Len reacted, like a complete fool, reminded me of the old days. I tried to hide my embarrassment by kicking my female friends to wake them. Both of them groaned and went straight back to sleep.

"I'm not going to ask why you are having a little meeting here so late at night with dozens of papers and two other women, but I expect to hear an explanation some day from one of you," Rin said. "Make sure you don't wake up Oto-sama when you leave." She vanished from the doorway, bare feet against tatami mats and wood fading away deeper into the house.

I stood up, stretched my back, and kicked Yuka and Gumi again from this better position. At last Yuka opened her eyes and flipped her purple hair out of her face. Gumi remained stagnant, always being a stubborn person in every situation. Sluggishly, Yuka got up and grabbed our friend's arm.

"Get the other one. We'll physically drag her out of this place if we need to," Yuka mumbled, wiping the sleep out of her eyes.

"Okay, here we go." I snagged her right wrist and with a whispered countdown, we heaved.

"See you, short stuff," Yuka said to Len.

"Bye, Len!" I added.

"Bye. Are we meeting tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure if I can make it, but you all are free to," I answered.

"Ah, okay…"

With many grunts of effort, we managed to pull Gumi through the open bedroom door and out the front entrance. Once her butt hit the cold dirt, Gumi's eyes fluttered open like being roused from a peaceful sleep. We dropped her immediately and caught our breath as she assessed her surroundings.

"You know he won't come if you're not there," Yuka said, cracking her neck. "If it's just Gumi and I and the meeting tomorrow, it would be awfully lonely."

"Sorry, I promised my sister I would take more working days. She'd flip out if I disappear in the middle of the day again."

"Fine, fine."

"Walk home safe." I began skipping down the steps two at a time.

"You too! You know, your house hasn't been crossed off the map yet. Maybe I should I be watching my back!" she teased.

"Yeah, sure. You know how deadly us Megurine girls are." With a mischievous wink, I bolted the rest of the way down the hill and subsequently through the town, half for the humor, half for the blood-pumping fear.

On my all-important day of chores, Luka gave me a list of essential assignments to do at the crack of dawn. After organizing all of my latest works by color, I was ushered out of the house to buy accessories for my sister's freshly sewn _kimono._

Head hanging down as you always did nowadays in Enobizaka while walking through the deserted streets, I made my way to the hairpin shop on the west side of town. "You complain all the time how I'm never home, but as soon as I'm free for the day, you run me out of the house," I grumbled to myself, wishing I was helping solve murders instead of running a fashion errand.

I lifted my head up as the door of the shop was feet away; however, another hand reached the handle before mine did.

"Oh, Kagamine-sama! Sorry, didn't see you there," I exclaimed, stepping away from a pale Kaito wearing a haggard smile.

"That is fine, Mayu-san. It has been a while, has it not?" he asked.

"It really has. I had seen you around town but haven't had the opportunity to chat. I hope you're doing well?" I tried to hide the interlaced sympathy as well as I could without sounding uncouth.

"Well…it's been difficult, but I must stay present for the twins."

"Aw, you're so kind, Oto-sama!" Rin popped up behind him suddenly.

"Ah, yes. We're here so I can purchase a hairpin for Rin, one to match her golden _kimono._ I heard there are many good items here."

"There are! Last week I saw there was a beautiful yellow pin shaped like an iris flower. It would look great on you."

"Thanks! I'll keep that in mind. Were you going into the shop too?"

"You know what, I was just leaving." Honestly, I didn't want to interrupt daddy-daughter time. Something about this encounter made me uneasy.

"Okay, bye, Mayu-chan! Len was really missing you this morning; I could tell. Just saying!" Rin chuckled to herself. I took in the sight of the smiling girl with shimmering golden locks and blue eyes that matched her brother's. Something, something didn't feel right.

"Bye, Rin-chan. Tell your brother I won't be able to make the meeting today. One-san gave me a lot of work to do."

"That's what sisters are for," she said, a bit sadly. Of course.

"Goodbye, Mayu-san," Kaito gave his farewell. "Take good care of Len."

I shot him a strange look. He in turn cocked his head to the side. "I-I apologize," I stuttered. "Your w-wife said something similar to me the last time we spoke. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. Bye, both of you!"

Pivoting on my heel, I began walking swiftly away. A chill ran down my spine, and I walked faster. When I made it home, Luka was gone. _Hypocrite._ I looked at her freshly laid out _kimonos_ and remembered the accessory task. Sighing, I headed out again, intending to go to the other, smaller pin shop on the other side of town.


	20. Touch

The orange sky housed the sun as it kissed the horizon, and Luka wasn't home yet. I huffed while mincing some bok choy. Two bowls laid on the table beside me, though at this point I wondered if my sister would care to show up at all for dinner, considering she already missed lunch gallivanting around who-know-where and causing me to worry like crazy. If she was just going to ditch me, I could have spent the day trying find Meiko and Miku's murderer. Hell, I even bought some stupid hairpins for her outfits. Something seriously strange was going on with Luka, and I disliked the feeling in my gut as every day she grew more and more bizarre.

I was about to take the rice out of cooker when the noise of someone sliding open and closed the front door interrupted me. Putting on my best vilifying face, I rolled down my sleeves and stomped into the work room with a shout already perched under my chin. A pale Luka kneeled at her work table, hands laid in her lap and eyes focused on nothing. My indignation that so firmly rapt me unfurled within seconds, and I found myself nervously inching toward my sister.

Extending my hand, I asked softly, "One-san? Luka? Is everything alri-?"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She suddenly shouted, swiping my hand away and standing up.

I stared at her, shocked. "Luka?"

Backing away a few steps and wrapping her arms around herself, she kept shouting desperately. "Only Kaito can touch me! And only I can touch Kaito! That's what it means to be m-married!"

"Luka, what are you saying?" I kept my voice steady, holding out my hands to show I meant no harm. "You're not making any sense."

"You know what doesn't make sense?! Why _my_ husband, _my_ Kaito, is gamboling around with all those tawdry women! He comes back to the village and all he does is betray me! Over and over again! First with that busty slut, then with those little girls! Why does he do this to me?!"

"One-san, I don't understand. Your husband is back in town? Where has he been? He hasn't been staying here, has he?"

"Of course he hasn't been staying here! He's been sleeping with those whores! He stays there and ignores me, the bastard!"

Shaking my head in disbelief, I observed in horror what had become of my sister. She never used words like _"whore"_ or _"bastard."_ Luka was always the mature one, the calm one, not this wild-eyed beast before me.

"And has he done it now!" she continued. "I thought the other girl was young, but _this one!_ This one can't be much older than you! Is that it?! Am I too old for him?! Am I not pretty enough? Am I not good enough?" With every heaving breath, she began to grow quieter. "I'm never good enough for anyone, am I?" She sank to her knees, eyes refocused on that imaginary thing in the distance. "I wasn't good enough for Oka-sama and Oto-sama. I'm not good enough for Kaito…"

Slowly approached the hunched over woman, I placed my hand on her shoulder comfortingly. Tears ran down her faces and onto the tatami floor. It took her a few moments this time to pathetically slap my hand off and crawl away.

Getting to her feet, she gave a slurry "I told you not to touch me" before stalking off to her room where she would stay for the rest of the time I was awake. When I checked the rice cooker, the food was burned. I stored the salvageable food for another day, having lost my appetite for the night.

"What is it?" Luka asked the next morning during breakfast.

"What's what?" I responded shortly, refusing to bring my eyes away from my food.

"You have been oddly distant today. When you do glance at me, it's with an irregular look."

"Are we not going to talk about yesterday?"

"Why? What happened yesterday?"

I glared at her with another one of my "irregular" looks, not sure if being upset was the right emotion. How could my sister go from that mess yesterday to being perfectly placid today? How could she pretend like nothing happened? How could she be so convincing that nothing did? Some of the things she said just kept tugging at my mind, throwing my entire thought process off-kilter. Deep inside me resonated that something was horribly, terribly wrong.

"You know what? Nothing happened yesterday," I said with a tone that hopefully indicated I no longer was up for conversation.

Luka shrugged her shoulder and took the last few bites of rice out of her bowl. Placing her dishes down on the counter, she announced she was going to pay her respects to Mother and Father and disappeared into the shrine room to pray. Soon after, I washed the dishes and decided to make some _zori_ sandals. Business was unsurprisingly slow, but it couldn't hurt to keep the stocks up for when this whole thing blows over and the killer is found with no more bodies to her name.

Four knocks were violently thrusted into the front door. My fingers halted interlacing twine, and I curiously got up to answer. There were several more powerful knocks before I reached the entrance and slid it open.

Len stood with his bangs over his eyes. His hands were clenched into fists and the dawn sky made his skin looked pure white.

"Len? What's the matter?" I said. He didn't react at all to my question, just keeping his head down. "Here, come in."

Letting him push by, I closed the door and observed the way he prosaically stepped into the work room and spun around to face me.

"Len, seriously, what happened? Is it about the case-?"

He lifted his head and began waltzing toward me with piercing eyes. Alarmed, I took a step back before Len grabbed my wrist with one hand and gently leaned my head forward with the other. My heart stuttered as he pressed his lips firmly against mine. Before I could grasp the situation, he pulled away and pulled me into a tight hug. It was a good thing he held on so tightly since my body felt limp from the stupefaction.

"I'm sorry," he said gravely. I wasn't sure what to be more bewildered by, the kiss or what he said next. "Rin's dead."

Finally, my arms rose to hug him back. Tears began to fall to the floor, and I wasn't sure whose they were. "Impossible," was all I could muster to say.

"This morning. I-I found her, and the investigators are already at the house. I'm sorry…coming in here like-"

"Stop saying that!" That came out more as a sob than a command. "Your mother, your older sisters, I can't imagine. Just stop. Stop saying you're sorry."

"…I need you to stay away from me for a while," he whispered.

"Huh?"

"You can't go near me or my father until the murderer is caught. Every girl I'm close to is dying. I can't, I _can't_ lose you to."

"B-but, we're so close to finding out who it is. What about Yuka and Gumi and the plan?" I argued weakly.

"I'll still meet with them discreetly."

"Then why can't I also meet with you discreetly?"

"You know why I won't let you do that." I remained silent. "Try not to go outside either. Stay close to your sister, and you should be safe."

He broke the hug first. Now being able to see his face, I saw the sadness in his eyes and the small smile on his face. Letting go of my shoulders, he began to walk toward the door.

"Wait!" I shouted. He stopped and turned around. I ran up to him, closed my eyes, and kissed him strongly for a long moment. A new fire in my eyes, I said. "Go find the woman who did this." Shaking the surprising off, he nodded. Still watching me, Len opened the door and stepped out.

When he turned and began walking off, I nearly tripped over myself jumping into the cold air to yell, "I LOVE YOU!"

He spun around and yelled back with so much melancholy, "I LOVE YOU!"

Tears were still streaming down my face when I made it back inside. Sinking to the floor, I covered my face as I cried, ignoring the persistent feeling my gut that someone was watching.


	21. The Proper Way to Stitch

Incense still kindling, sending thin strings of smoke to pool at the ceiling of the little shrine room tucked into the back of our house. I very rarely spent extended periods of time in here, but the day after I said goodbye to Len, I need the stillness to think. Luka had been paying her respects not long ago, having left without telling me where it was she was going like usual. She had inquired multiple times of why I looked so drained. I did not admit that I had the overwhelming urgency to cry every few hours.

No picture of my parents was drawn during their lifetimes, and Luka never propped one up at the shrines. The names were the only things to stare at and even then, the dim candles distorted my eyes. If I recalled correctly, a tiny box with the dead's mementos used to occupy the now bare space in front of me. My sister must have taken it away when she decided to start using Mother's scissors.

I remember those scissors, silver, whose blades were a half a foot long. Mother always used them as she cut fabric with grace only years of experience could have forged. She and Father used to be so happy when I was interested in their work. Sometimes I still wonder how that changed.

It was true that I never stepped foot in Enobizaka until my parents' death. My birthplace was a slightly larger (though not by any means large) town a hundred miles away. The Megurine family were a long legacy of tailors, the women generally being the more talented ones. So, when Mother and Father produced a girl, they were satisfied. I, however, came over a decade later as a little accident. Whatever, they said, at least I was a girl, too.

At the age of five I was taught to sew my first _kimono._ Luka especially loved teaching me all Mother had passed down to her. Through she was so much older than me, my older sister was my best friend. By the age of eight I was working at our modest shop at the outskirts of town.

"If you hitch it like this," Luka was saying to me behind the closed bedroom door. "Then it won't bunch up around the hips." She demonstrated the technique several times.

"Oooh," I cooed, mimicking her actions as closely as possible.

"Good, good! You almost have it down already!"

I smiled up at Luka jovially. She was already a beautiful woman at this time and would have been sought after by many men if our parents had ever let her out of the house. "When did Oka-san teach you this?"

She winked. "Oka-san didn't. I came up with this myself."

"That's so cool, One-chan! You're going to be the best tailor someday."

"We'll see," Luka replied modestly, but a tiny smile remained on her face the rest of the day.

Soon after, when I was sewing in silence with Mother at my side, I used the technique Luka taught me efficiently and admired how the stitch kept sturdy yet flexible as I strained the fabric. Mother glanced over to see what I was doing.

"What is that?" she asked sternly. "You're doing it wrong."

I cocked my head to the side. "No, One-chan taught me this the other day. This way the fabric doesn't bunch up at the hips," I relayed the information cheerfully, glad that Luka would be praised for her original work.

"Your sister is not as experienced as me and should not give you false knowledge. Those stiches will not work. Redo them."

"Huh? How will they not work?" Eight-year-old me couldn't wrap her mind around why her mother acted this way. It would take me years of brooding over this day to finally realize the answer.

"Because I say they will not work! Do not talk back to your parents, Mayu. The decision is final; never apply any technique that was not passed on by me. Do you understand?"

I looked up at the woman with big golden eyes and a throat brimming with objections that I would never have the courage to say until the day she died. "I understand, Oka-san."

"Good! Now, cut those threads and start again. We don't have time for any more silliness."

Shouting could be heard from the kitchen that night. Luka silently slipped into our bedroom and sank down in her futon without a word, though I was sure she knew I was still awake, awaiting an answer.

From then on Luka never smiled as brightly as she had before and never taught me anything unapproved by Mother. This upset and bewildered me, so much so I began developing my own ideas in secret and testing them out on items outside my parents' supervision. Within a few months, some might have said my abilities surpassed my sister's and were climbing fast toward Mother's. One day she found one of the _haoris_ sewn using one of my new ideas. That afternoon she called for me and laid the jacket out in front of me like it was something I had stolen.

"Mayu, what is this?" she asked shortly.

Feeling the aura of darkness shrouding her hardened face, I answered cautiously, "It's a _haori_ I made."

"I know that; I am not moronic. I am asking you why it is hemmed twice." Mother ran her fingers along the seam.

"B-because, I was thinking it would be less likely to fray and customers could wear it longer," I replied, struggling with keeping my head up high.

"When did I ever tell you to do this? It is a waste of cloth! In fact," she stomped over to the chest of drawers and started tossing clothing out of it. "Almost all of your work recently has involved methods I do not use! Do you think you are better than me, is that it, girl?!" Her voice steadily increased in volume.

I shook my head violently. "N-no, I just wanted our business to be better-"

"Our business is perfectly fine without your help! You try to embarrass us by trying to outperform me?! It is embarrassing enough having a daughter that looks nothing like your father and myself! People assume you are a bastard! Do you know what that does to my image?!"

Biting my lip to hold back a whimper, I shook my head again.

"Tch! I wonder why we even let your face be seen! You're even uglier than your sister! Do you understand me?! You are nothing!"

"O-Oka-san…" I could not keep the tears from streaming down my face.

"Go away, now! I have something to discuss with your father! Do not be pitying yourself after whatever happens. Know that you brought this upon yourself."

I ran into the bedroom, curled up under the blanket, and tried to make the past go away. No matter how hard I wanted it to disappear, it remained to rest on my mind for the rest of my life.

The next week, I was sent off to my grandparents' house in the city.

The week after that, I heard that Luka and my parents moved to a tiny village as Enobizaka to start a new business there.

Nine years later, I did not weep at their graves, but instead met the love of my life.

Now, I wondered how I ever had a life before Len, Yuka, even Gumi, and I prayed that I could keep what little remained of the serene village I once found my peace in.

Luka was home by the time I exited the shrine room. She worked furiously at a _yukata,_ sewing the stitches precisely how Mother taught her too.


	22. Safety

Eyes drooping and mind slipping in and out of clarity, I clutched my dagger tightly to keep ahold of my consciousness. Three hours until the sun would rise, an eternity until I could see Len again. Our last conversation stabbed at my heart sharper than any dagger I could wield would. The darkness of my own home refused to give me solace; it only let paranoia ring through my ears and a cold hand of fear grasp my heart.

To put it simply, I was guarding the door. In my grief-stricken, sleep-deprived state of mind all I could think about was protecting myself. Not even for my own desires, but so Len did not have to mourn anyone else's death. I had been up for more than thirty hours now, pacing the floor until my mind was numb, kneeling on the ground until my knees could handle no more, tapping my fingers against the wood until my nails were broken, all the while ensuring that no one but me or my sister enter that front door after hours. Nothing would be able to hurt me in here.

"Why are you up so late? Or is it so early?"

I shot onto my feet and pointed the knife in the direction of the voice. A lantern illuminated Luka's face, casting shadowing upon her eyes and barely managing to calm me down enough to stop trembling. She looked at my blade glinting off the firelight without batting an eye. I promptly dropped my weapon to the ground, wringing my hands together to shake the horrible feeling off of them.

"Sorry. I'm just…waiting," I said quietly.

"And you haven't been going out for almost a week now," she observed.

"I have my reasons, One-san. I apologize again for waking you, but you should really go back to sleep now."

"Hmmm." She lowered the lamp to her side, the flame growing smaller and smaller before vanishing behind a corner.

No one attempted to break in that night.

Morning came, accompanied by the skylarks and the pain of waiting another day without my Len. It had been thirty-seven hours since I last slept.

I was almost working as much as my sister did these days. Thoughts, when they dared to cross my mind, were disjointed and ambiguous, lacking sense or provoking paranoia. When Luka came home after one of her enigmatic excursions close to mid-day, I was too close to the edge, and I knew it.

"Is something wrong? Something seems off about you," I said too quickly, trying to keep the wavering out of my voice.

My sister slipped off her shoes and flowed as gracefully to her work table as water in a smooth-stone stream. Only after she pulled out mother's scissors and a roll of cloth did she answer. "There is some news regarding the family you have been so closely associating yourself with."

My hands ceased moving along a seam line. Carefully, I replied, "Really?"

"Yes. It would seem another one of them has gone missing," she said, never lifting her eyes from her work.

All of a sudden, I was suffocating. My bones trembled, and I closed my eyes to lessen the headache. _Please, not him, please, not him, please, not him, please._

"Not that young one you are always talking with. His father."

The relief that flooded my body was cold and guilty. _Kaito, not Len. That's good. Not Len, it's not Len._ "Kagamine-sama is missing," I said dully.

"It would seem so…" she stole a glance at her fabric closet then. "Where are you going?"

Already tightening a shawl over my hair for the bitter weather and hiding my unique hair, I slapped myself in the face a few times to stay awake. "Out, only for half an hour at the latest. Don't worry, I've already reached my quota for the day."

Luka hummed an uncaring acknowledgement and wrapped her fingers around Mother's scissors. She held them for a few seconds like admiring an antique before inching away at the cloth in front of her. I was out the door without a second thought.

Over the past couple months I had stayed in Enobizaka, I had become quite healthy. Stepping out into the outside air again exposed my skin to be just as pale as it was at the beginning. I didn't think it possible that the town could have gotten quieter since the last time I was here. Before, it was a village of scared people. Now, it was a village of the dead. No one else could die now, not when we were so close.

Yuka, Gumi, and Len might have been huddled around piles of parchment right now, figuring out the culprit. Were they closer? Were my theories correct? Would the case be closed by the end of the night? Not knowing was the worst exile.

Walking through the village felt like breaking a promise. Though I told myself that this was for finding the murderer, it was undeniable that selfishness played a key role in me stepping through the threshold of that sake bar at the edge of town.

The musty building wasn't much warmer than the outside. I wound my way through the maze of low tables and damp tatami mats until I reached the seat adjacent to the only two other customers in here. Pushing back thoughts of Len's escalating disapproval, I settled myself down beside one of the two investigators sent here for the case.

"And you might you be?" he asked, looking me up and down and bothering not to conceal the slur in his voice.

I remembered this was the one who made that comment about the women in Enobizaka. "Someone who will not be here for a while. I only want to trade information about the Kagamine killings," I said.

"Hmm? How did you find this alleged information, girlie?" the second one questioned. A man from behind the _noren_ curtains to refill their drinks and place a fresh one in front of me.

I drank it in one swig and took a moment for the buzzing in my ears to wear off. _Thirty-eight hours._ "Let's just say I've been looking into the case myself for personal reasons. I know you people are at a dead end; do you want the information or not?"

The smug expression on their faces lessened a little, and they huddled close for a moment to supposedly discuss their in-depth decision. After a minute of loud whispering, the first one whipped around and exclaimed haughtily, "Although we do not need it, we will listen to what you have to say and give you some of our intelligence. This is out of the kindness of our hearts."

"Whatever you say," I mumbled. "I need your information first."

"How do we know you won't run away after we tell you?"

"I am not so incompetent as to try to out-run a man with twice my strength, no matter how stoned they are."

"Fine! What do you want to know?"

"The paper that was on Kagamine Miku's body, what was written on it?"

They looked at each other for a moment, and the second one nodded. "We will overlook how you knew about that evidence. It really wasn't anything important, just parchment with a woman's measurements and on the back it said 'Give your wife my regards.'"

"Are you sure?" I asked—too quickly, much too quickly.

"Yes. Why, does that have significance?"

"No. For your information, the murderer is a woman. Goodbye." I stood up and began my swift walk out. "Thanks for paying for the drink."

Before they could object, I was out in the chilled wind and attempting to calm my sporadic pulse.

 _"Give your wife my regards," I wrote on the back of the parchment Kaito had given me. I slipped it into the folds of the kimono before handing it over to the shrine priest and ultimately, Meiko._


	23. Truth

Everything was fine.

I told myself that when I floated through town. I told myself that when I walked past the _sakura_ tree, the last of its petals already blown away into the sky. I told myself that as I spotted Gakupo wandering through the streets, who must have come back on the request of Len and the others. He might have spotted me. My ears weren't working properly. I told myself that as I entered my home, slamming the door shut behind me. I told myself that when I noticed Luka wasn't in the work room. I told myself that everything was fine when I fell to my knees in front of my sister's personal closet.

Why would Miku have that parchment with her when she died?

Why was I about to search through Luka's things?

With trembling hands, I slid open the door to the closet. Neatly folded piles of _kimonos_ almost completely took up my vision, but a tiny sliver at the top revealed that the closet was much deeper than it seemed. I removed a few layers from the top of the mountain, and that's when the horrible smell hit me.

Something persistent continuously tried to force its way to my thoughts. I pushed it down as hard as I could and kept digging. A small piece of parchment was poking out in between folds. Letting curiosity cloud my panic, I surgically pulled it out. It was folded in half, a much sturdier paper than I had ever seen, pure white. Inside was a number that was drawn in beautiful pink calligraphy: _4._

I definitely recognized that stench. Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere I couldn't recall. All of this felt like I had seen it in a dream and it is finally coming to pass. The solution had been there the whole time, but I just denied its existence.

I tore down the wall of fabric, only to be faced with another one. Something must be behind all of this crap. That horrid smell grew in its intensity as I pulled down more _kimonos._ Just how many did Luka have?

Hair flying loose from my bun, I clenched my teeth like a madwoman and broke through the final layer of clothing.

 _"Actually, I am married."_

 _"Yep! His name is Kaito, and he is out of town a lot!"_

 _"We were able to eliminate this many possibilities because we had the revelation that Miku knew who the killer was and was going out to confront them. This makes it all the more imperative to figure out what that piece of parchment she had on her said."_

 _"You too! You know, your house hasn't been crossed off the map yet. Maybe I should I be watching my back!"_

 _"You know what doesn't make sense?! Why my husband, my Kaito, is gamboling around with all those tawdry women! He comes back to the village and all he does is betray me! Over and over again! First with that busty slut, then with those little girls! Why does he do this to me?!"_

 _"It really wasn't anything important, just parchment with a woman's measurements, and on the back it said 'Give your wife my regards.'"_

I covered my mouth with my hand as I gagged, but nothing could prevent the tears from running down my face. Kaito, pale, so pale, a red hole in his royal blue _haori,_ the red streaking down his stomach and accumulating onto the wood floor. Dead eyes left open and a confused frown forever on his rigid face, all crunched into the small space crudely and irreverently. Kaito was most certainly gone, and that meant my insane theory I had tucked in the backroom of my mind for so long must have been true.

"I decided to go to him, if he wasn't going to come home."

I slowly turned around, still crying and horrified at taking in my sister's appearance. The red _kimono_ I had made for Meiko, the green sash I gave Miku, the yellow hairpin I pointed out to Rin at the shop, she was adorning them like they were her own. "O-One-san, what have you done?"

"And you know what he said to me when I approached him?" Luka went on like she was talking only to herself. "He said-" she giggled here. "H-he said, 'Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you.' I mean, what kind of reaction is that? It was like he was talking to a stranger, isn't that funny?" Her irrational laughter filled the air as I stared on in horror. Only then did I spy Mother's scissors in her right hand, being clinked together and out again and again. The silver blades were now caked in dry blood.

"So, so," she continued, getting ahold of herself. "I told him that I knew a secret about those girls he was with, and he followed me to the house. Don't worry, don't worry. He's faithful now. I no longer have any need to be envious. He'll be with me forever, just like it was meant to be. Why are you sad, Mayu? Shouldn't you be happy for me?"

"Luka, why? Why did you kill him? Why did you kill all of them?" I gradually pulled myself to my feet, pressing my back against the closet door to keep my knees from buckling.

She tutted. "What are you talking about, Mayu? I wouldn't kill anybody. I think you're confusing my situation with the murders going around town. That whole family of four being murdered?"

"Family of _five,_ there was five. Len, oh my God, Len. Why couldn't I have figured it out sooner?"

"You're not making any sense." Her demented smile swiftly vanished. "Besides, you shouldn't be wanting to be with anyone but me. You can stay with me and Kaito forever, too. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

I shook my head, but that motion soon became a fierce nod as a swallowed my heart and gave myself a second to think. "That's a great idea. Just, I think we can discuss the details over dinner! I can prepare it while you go pray to Oto-san and Oka-san-"

"NO! No, we have to make the decision now, or else you might run away from me."

"What? No, I would never-"

"WE DECIDE NOW!"

I looked at her. She looked at me. We reacted at the same time.

As she lifted her scissors in the air and swung down with all her might, I dodged to the left, slipping past her and nearly tripping over a table. I heard the weapon stab the closet door, wedging it in and giving me enough time to try to open the exit of her room. _Jammed? How? How could she jam it?_ I whipped around to see her tear the blades out of the wood and turn toward me, rage coating her features that over shadowed all of her make-up. Luka charged at me again, two hands wielding the scissors like a dagger, me too stunned to move fast enough. As she aimed for the head, I weaved to my left again, this time the blade slicing my cheek, ripping skin and scraping bone, before it stuck itself into the door behind me.

I grasped my face, now pouring an enormous amount of blood onto my clothing and the floor beneath me. The pain was like a hot iron poker being burned into my face and burrowed in. My vision was already blurring as I panted and backed away drowsily, barely on my feet and facing a monster I could never imagine living on this planet.

"You've stopped trying to run away, Sister?" I could her Luka's voice echo.

Even farther into the distance, I heard a voice I vaguely remembered. "Hidari-san? Kagamine Len sent me over to check on you!"

Luka's eyes widened as her head whirled toward the door then back at me. She barely shook her head before I screamed at the top of my lungs. In a thousand years or maybe it was just a millisecond, she starting screaming too, but in enmity and spite. Her feet began moving toward me as banging and more yelling was heard past the door. Someone was kicking it, forcing it open in three attempts.

A flash of purple shot across my vision as the woman only two feet away from me halted. Confused, she looked down at her stomach, where a katana blade found its home. Her mouth twitched, and her eyes lost their color. My sister fell to the ground. I followed suit.


	24. Scar

The memories of all that happened to Kaito, Luka, and myself did not take long to resurface my mind. My tear wells were barren; it felt like I had cried enough for a thousand lifetimes. I focused on the pain jagging across the right side of my face. If I thought of anything else, I knew the sorrow would drown out any thought of my jaw. I deserved this pain. For my stupidity and helplessness.

The place I found myself in when I woke up three days ago was unfamiliar and frightening. The only logical assumption was that this was the village apothecary's house. The apothecary herself spoke little words, only to not get out of bed or swallow my tongue. Even if I had the energy, I had no opportunity to question this woman's rudeness, because the bandages that protected my wound also covered my entire mouth. Only a few people I did not recognize had entered the room I stayed holed up in, but I felt like there were whispers everywhere.

The room was small and cold. The futon below me was at least twenty years old and I had the feeling the apothecary purposefully gave me this one. The ceiling was boring, several wooden beams and thatched water reeds that every home in almost the whole country had. A table with various medicinal herbs and jars sat two feet from my face. Occasionally, the apothecary would kneel there and write things she would not clarify to me down on parchment. The quiet soon became irksome.

On that third day of awareness the apothecary trivially announced that the swelling should be gone and it was time to take off the bandages. As much as I tried to keep all emotions away from me, uneasiness gripped my heart as she inelegantly undid the cloth, around and around my head it goes. A tiny mirror was propped against the wall at the foot of my futon in order to reveal to me my new mutilated face. Thanks, apothecary, and I thought you didn't like me.

Round and round, the tail of the scar came first. Round and round, then the body. Round and round, finally, the head. Round and round, the apothecary walked out of the room without a word. I observed the ugly line that forever will plague my face. It started an inch to the right of my mouth, running parallel with my jaw line, stopping an inch before my ear. The whole bottom half of my head was red as blood allowed to flow through it. At last, I let myself think about the blood. Mine, pouring onto the floor. Luka's, as Gakupo's blade easily burrowed into her skin and bone. My sister, I had lost my only sister. Still, I did not cry.

Two hours later, my first real visitors decided to show up. Took them long enough. My indignation could not overpower my lamentations, so I let Yuka and Gumi approach me without tearing their heads off.

Gumi stayed back several feet, but Yuka came close to me. Fear coated her eyes as they found my scar and the cold expression lingering on my face. The apothecary was leaning against the wall, observing everything like this was a test. Too many people were in this tiny room.

"We are here to tell you that tomorrow you will be escorted down to the Kagamine household to give a formal apology on behalf of the Megurine family to the Kagamine family. All the elders of the town will be attending," Yuka said.

I did not respond, having tested speaking already and finding the pain too excruciating to bother using it. However, I understood the words perfectly. The customs of this region were strict and unmerciful now that the immediate danger had been taken care of. I wished they cared for the Kagamines this much when Luka was still breathing. Of course, that would be a ridiculous thing to wish for. No one would want to end up like me.

Yuka shifted under my calculating gaze, unsure if I couldn't or wouldn't speak. The speech was obviously scripted, given to my closest friends by whoever was in charge out there. I wanted the apothecary to screw off, so they could actually tell me something I wanted to know.

With a subtle glance behind her, Yuka nodded her head toward Gumi. In a flash of green and orange, Gumi scraped the contents of the apothecary's work table into her arms and began sprinting out of there.

"THEIF! THEIF! You!" The woman pointed at Yuka. "You better be gone by the time I come back!" She chased after the pilferer in a screeching rage.

As soon as the apothecary was out the door, Yuka embraced me in a hug in which I did not reciprocate. Her words began pouring out swiftly and quietly, a new look of sadness settled on her features.

"I'm so sorry for everything that has happened. We continued our investigation after you went into hiding, but we kept hitting dead ends. Len had sent a letter to Gakupo for help, and he was checking in on you the day it happened. The elders had taken over charge here after Kaito's death was confirmed, and they forbid us to come visit you until today. It's really bad out there, Mayu. No one really knows what happened, just that Luka was the killer and you were injured. You might not realize it, but it's been over a week since the incident. What happened?"

I pursed my lips and decided to give talking a go. "I found out it was my sister." The words were gargled and lisping. "I searched through her closet and found Kaito. I swear, I swear I didn't know for sure until then. Luka was there. She attacked me with the scissors, but Gakupo came and k-killed her. He killed her, right?"

She nodded her head. "Yes, she's dead. Gakupo was really shaken up about it afterwards. He kept repeating that something felt horribly wrong, like the universe was not in balance…I never doubted that you had nothing to do with this, and I don't doubt you now. But, the people of Enobizaka are conjuring all these rumors about a conspiracy with you and Luka and how you manipulated Len to get close with the Kagamines. It's all crazy. There's no evidence to back it up, but people still believe it."

"Does…does Len believe it?"

Yuka hung her head and addressed the ground. "Neither Gumi nor I have been able to contact him. The elders have kept him secluded from everyone, telling him God-know-what. I think the only way you can talk to him is by formally apologizing. Of course, they'll make you do it anyway. This is so stupid! I just wish I could get you out of here right now."

I smiled, feeling the scar contract, disagreeing with the foreign muscles. "It's okay, I understand, now. I'm just glad I could talk to someone before I lost of what remains of my sanity."

An angry door slam coming from the front of the house caused Yuka to jump. "I have to go now. I'm sure Len still cares for you. If it wasn't obvious before, he kind of likes you."

"Yeah, before all of this, we kind of established that."

"Really?! Why am I always the last to hear about these things—AHH—okay, definitely have to run now. That apothecary woman is intimidating."

I waved as she bolted out of the room to slip out through the back door. My smile soon faded, leaving me cold and alone again. When the apothecary finally made her way back to the tiny room, she merely scowled, dumped her retrieved inventory back on the table, and stomped out, slamming the door shut behind her.

The morning came without warning, my dear caretaker loudly sliding open the door and letting two large village men in. Before I was fully aware of anything, my arms were roughly grabbed, one by each man, and I was pulled out of bed. My legs had not supported my weight for days. The unsteadiness only made the men usher me more forcefully. Only when I was out the front door of the apothecary's house and into the cold, blinding sun did they let go, causing me to topple over onto my knees.

I looked up, and a crowd of eyes greeted me. Some were curious, some compassionate, most disgusted and filled with fury. Scrambling up as to not let the men do it for me, I looked around the streets so devoid of life only a week previous. Now, they were brimming with onlookers, more than I had ever seen even before the murders. Were they all there…for me?

Sensing the heinous glares from behind me, I began walking toward the temple. My itchy, gray _kimono_ the apothecary had put me in at least shielded me from the cold, but I wondered why she didn't give me any sandals. The answer was in the spite of the people around me. My only option was to carry on.

Subconsciously, I fiddle with my disheveled hair, gathering a lock in my fingers and strategically placing it over my scar. Even with my face to the ground, I still felt ugly and blemished, like no matter how hard I try to cover it up, the memory of that afternoon will always be there.

When the first man in the crowd yelled, "Murderer!" it started a chain reaction. All of a sudden, the world crashed down upon me in the form of jeers and shouts of horrid things that even I would not tell Luka, despite how much I resented her now. All these people, they didn't matter. Only one person's opinion of me mattered, and he was at the end of this road.

I wanted to fall down and cry in relief when I made it to the tori gate, but then the hill upward loomed before me tauntingly. Closing my eyes, I gathered my breath and most of my wits and began the long trudge upwards. Only the really obstinate ones were lining the path here to throw insults in my face. Head down, eyes forward, legs moving, ears paused. Almost there.

The Kagamine home once was full of life. Meiko, Miku, Rin, and Kaito all lived right where I stood before, and yet, this building was so empty of joy. Two elders sat on either side of the entrance, both young for their positions. The two men behind me shoved me forward and commanded me to stop ogling the place. I obeyed.

Where once I sat with the Kagamine family at a table, his mother teasing Len about his writing hobby as we all enjoyed tea, now say seven serious-looking men with solemn faces and crossed arms. By far the youngest was in the middle with his golden hair and blue eyes that I felt watch me as I kneeled before them, eyes firmly on the floor. From the short glance I stole, his expression was indecipherable.

"Megurine Mayu, you will not be charged with any official crime related to the four deaths that took place here in the village, but do you wish to say anything to alleviate the disgrace your sister has put upon your name?" One of the older ones asked in his crinkly, worn-out voice that held authority and conviction. I did not bother correcting them on my surname.

I took a deep breath, having rehearsed and re-rehearsed this many times the previous night. Placing my hands flat against the ground, I bowed with my forehead touching the floor. In a tone which hopefully matched my sincerity, I said, "On behalf of the Megurine family, you have my humblest apologies for all the pain we have caused you. We are forever in your debt for yo-your," my voice cracked, "your mercy upon us. As the sole head of the Megurine line, you have my word."

Silence echoed for a long time, deeper than my many hours alone in that small room. A last, Len quietly spoke. "May we be left alone for a moment?"

At first, I was not sure if he was talking to me or the other elders, but it was the old men that hastily stood up, grumbling incoherent things to each other about how unorthodox this was. When the door shut behind them, fear spiked in my chest and my hands trembled to hold in the terror.

I heard a shift in front of me, then footsteps coming closer. My heartbeat leaped when I felt two hands gently lifting my face off the ground, so I could stare into his eyes. His expression still prosaic, he carefully moved my hair back to reveal the horrible scar painted across my cheek. Len's eyes became a bottomless sea of sadness, and he pulled me closer into a wistful kiss. I realized he was shaking too, and finally, the tension in my heart was released. He pulled away but kept me in an embrace. Even as I felt tears running down my back, my cheeks remained dry. Whatever depression within me had been fully realized the second I saw Luka wearing that _kimono._

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"

"Sh, sh. I was blind, so blind I couldn't stop your father or anyone else being killed. You did everything you could," I whispered soothingly.

There we stayed for an eternity, not caring how long those elders had to wait outside. When finally, one rudely knocked on the door, we knew it was time to let go.

"Hey, Len? Do you think one day we'll be happy?" I asked before he could leave my side.

"Soon, I'm sure of it." He grinned, and you know what? I believed him.

Pink was a deceptively pretty color. It was the color of my sister's hair way back then. Was she really my sister, or was she a servant who died, a silenced revolutionary, or a good friend from university? Another woman's scream now pierced my heart in this place. I recognized it.

At least I found him again, and even though many lost their lives, I was able to prevent his death. That was all that mattered anymore. It brought me so much joy when we married again, despite the town's indignation that never died down. Still, the mystery of those cards remained. _4\. 4!_ Of course I didn't recognize western numbers, what were they thinking? _They,_ whoever _they_ are. Something was just out of reach, I could feel it. If only I could get out of this pink room and move on. Was he in another room just like this one? Was he screaming? Did he remember me? I remembered him for now, but soon I would be alone again.


End file.
